Bill Keel , University of Alabama. More images from Bill Keel's collection Details in the central region of M106. The central part of M106, photographed in the blue light. This central region is of much higher surface brightness than the outlayers of this galaxy.
Dust is evident.
Both iamges are from the University of Oregon collection . M106's appearance is dominated by two bright spiral arms and dark dust lanes near the nucleus. Bright newly formed stars near their outer tips distinguish the spiral arms in this photograph, the young star clusters seen as blue patches, the nebulae which still form stars as reddish or pinkish spots. The older population gives the nuclear region a more yellowish appearance.