Alternate Names

NGC 4258

Type

Supermassive

Location

in the constellation Canes Venatici

Finder Chart

Distance

24 million light-years

Mass

24 million to 38 million times the mass of the Sun

Size

Greater than the distance from Earth to the Sun

Discovery Methods

• Measuring the motions of gas
• Measuring the motions of stars

This multiwavelength view of M106 shows an extra set of spiral arms that is not visible through optical wavelengths. The arms, revealed by X-rays and shown in blue, are tilted about 120 degrees with respect to the galaxy's disk. [NASA/CXC/Univ. Maryland/A.S. Wilson et al./Palomar Observatory DSS/JPL-Caltech/NRAO/AUI/NSF]

This document was last modified: June 11, 2010.