M106 & CO.

Description and Details:‍ ‍

M106 Galaxy (NGC 4258), a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici, is a breathtaking sight. With its well-defined spiral arms and bright core, M106 spans about 30,000 light-years in diameter and lies approximately 23.5 million light-years from Earth. It is a fascinating galaxy, known for its active nucleus and the presence of a supermassive black hole at its center.
But M106 is not alone in this frame: the field is dotted with countless other galaxies. Beyond the most prominent ones—such as NGC 4217, NGC 4226 (bottom right), NGC 4248, NGC 4252 (adjacent to the right of M106), and NGC 4220 (top right)—there are many more, fainter galaxies populating the background. I noticed them during the image processing. Every tiny bright dot, no matter how small, could be a distant galaxy, millions or even billions of light-years away, each with its own unique story and characteristics.

Technical Details:
• Telescope/Mount: Skywatcher 150/750 HEQ5 Pro
• Camera: ZWO ASI 294 MC Pro
• Integration & Filters:
• 210 x 300" exposures with Optolong L-QEF filter
• 77 x 300" exposures with Optolong L-PRO filter (for H-alpha regions)
• Acquisition: Asiair Mini
• Guide Scope: 60/240
• Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 224 with UV/IR cut filter
• Location: Faggiano (TA), Italy
• Date: April 19–20, 24–25, 2026
• Bortle Class: 6
• Processing Software: DSS, GraXpert, Photoshop

‍ ‍Name: Raffaele Calcagno