# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C_EYCwwNNr3
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35585074-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c97ecccb6e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-08-24T21:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Let’s jet-set to Messier 106 🟢

This dazzling @esawebb image unveils Messier 106, also known as NGC 4258. Just 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, it’s practically our cosmic neighbor!

As one of the brightest and nearest spiral galaxies to our own Milky Way, Messier 106 has witnessed two supernovae in 1981 and 2014. At its core lies a supermassive black hole that’s not just sitting idle – it’s actively devouring material, emitting powerful radiation as gas spirals into its depths.

Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera reveals the galaxy’s Active Galactic Nucleus, a bright central region dominated by light from dust and gas falling into the black hole. The image colors tell a fascinating story: blue regions highlight stellar distribution, orange shows warmer dust, and red hues represent colder dust. Teal, green, and yellow tones near the center depict varying gas distributions.

Remarkably, Messier 106 features two “anomalous” extra arms visible in radio and X-ray wavelengths. These arms, composed of hot gas rather than stars, are thought to result from the black hole’s activity – a cosmic feedback effect creating waves akin to ocean waves crashing against rocks.

Fun fact: Despite its name, Messier 106 wasn’t discovered by Charles Messier but by his assistant, Pierre Méchain. It was posthumously added to the Messier catalogue in the 20th century.

📸 @NASA, @europeanspaceagency, @canadianspaceagency, J. Glenn; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0
📹 ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Glenn, M. Zamani, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

## Stats

- **Views:** 5,184
- **Likes:** 21,670
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 49

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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