About NGC 4258 (M106)

NGC 4258 is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 33° altitude and reaches 43° around 08:48 PM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 6 hours.

Galaxies are sensitive to light pollution, subtle features are easily lost in bright skies.

Observing tips

It requires patience and good conditions.

What to expect

At higher magnification, subtle detail can be detected.

It offers less structure than some of the brightest galaxies.

Type

Spiral Galaxy

Constellation

Canes Venatici

Distance

25000000 ly

Size

18.0' x 7.9'

Season

Spring

Difficulty

Hard

Magnitude

8.4