BEAUTY: 
BRAGGING RIGHTS: A beautiful sight
HOW EASY IS IT TO SEE? Best with rich-field telescope
BEST TIME TO SEE IT: Spring (in Canes Venatici)
TYPE: Galaxy DISCOVERED: 1781 by Pierre Méchain
Cuttlefish in space? This is one of the first galaxies I photographed, and when I saw the result I thought it looked like the body of a squid or a cuttlefish. Its bright central area is oval and mottled, and much more prominent than its thin arms. To find it, start at Gamma Ursa Majoris (Phecda) and move about 6 degrees in the direction of Alpha Canum Venaticorum.
A violent nucleus. A monster black hole lurks at the heart of Messier 106. It devours stars whole and spews out beams of high-energy particles from its poles. Most of the violence is invisible to us, but the brightness of the nucleus is a clue that a lot of energy is in play.
Focus on the core. Most of the detail in this galaxy is found near the core. Use moderate power to unravel its patchy surroundings.
