At the center of Messier 106 lies a supermassive black hole that is particularly active compared to the one in the Milky Way. While the Milky Way's black hole only occasionally draws in gas, the black hole at the heart of Messier 106 is continually consuming material. As gas spirals into the black hole, it heats up, releasing intense radiation.
The image was captured using Webb's Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) as part of a program designed to study the galaxy's active galactic nucleus-a bright central region illuminated by dust and gas falling into the black hole. In the image, blue regions represent the distribution of stars throughout the galaxy's central area, while orange areas indicate warmer dust and stronger red hues show colder dust. The teal, green, and yellow tones near the center reflect varying gas distributions in the region.
Messier 106 also features a unique characteristic: two additional 'anomalous' arms that are visible in radio and X-ray wavelengths rather than in visible light. Unlike the galaxy's normal arms, which are made up of stars, these extra arms consist of hot gas. Astronomers believe these arms are a result of the black hole's activity-a feedback mechanism observed in other galaxies as well. These outflowing streams of material are likely caused by the intense churning of gas around the black hole, creating a phenomenon similar to a wave breaking as it hits a rock near the shore.
Despite bearing his name, Messier 106 was not discovered or cataloged by the famous 18th-century astronomer Charles Messier. Instead, it was found by his assistant, Pierre Mechain, and was never added to the catalogue during Messier's lifetime. The galaxy, along with six other objects, was added to the Messier catalogue posthumously in the 20th century.
Related Links
Webb Telescope at ESA
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It
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