M106 - Canis Venatici galaxy group
M106 is a spiral galaxy about 25 million light years from earth. What makes it a good astrophotography target is the size of the galaxy and the minor galaxies that surround it. This photograph was taken using a modified Nikon D5000 set at ISO 800 and a six-inch F-5 reflector. The resultant image is a stack of five ten-minute exposures:
The edge on galaxy at lower right is NGC 4217. The small galaxy to its left is NGC 4226. The galaxy to the upper right is NGC 4220. The largest of the three galaxies to the right of M106 is NGC 4248. The two smaller ones are NGC 4231 and 4232.