The spiral structure of M106 is warped and twisted by a second pair of arm-like structures, barely detectable in visible light but showing clearly in X-ray and radio wavelengths, that extend outward from the nucleus at a perpendicular angle to the two spiral arms evident in visible wavelengths.
M106 is the largest member of the Canes Venatici II Group of galaxies in northern Canes Venatici. Also visible in this image to the northwest of M106 is the smaller NGC 4248, a peculiar spiral with irregular features, somewhat more distant than the large foreground spiral of M106. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas
Show on Sky Map