M94
NGC 4736
Properties
Position & Identifiers
Visibility
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Eyepiece View
M94 · 7.7′×6.7′ · N up, E left
Surface Brightness & Visibility
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Redshift
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About M94
Description
M94 (also called the Crocodile Eye or Cat's Eye Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici, about 16 million light-years from Earth. It features a remarkably bright inner ring of active star formation surrounding a compact, luminous core. M94 is one of the nearest starburst ring galaxies. The galaxy spans about 50,000 light-years and has an extremely faint outer disk discovered in deep imaging.
Observing Tips
Located about 3 degrees north-northeast of Beta Canum Venaticorum (Chara). In a telescope it appears as a bright, round, concentrated glow with an intensely bright core — the starburst ring and core merge into a brilliant central region. An 8-inch telescope under dark skies reveals a hint of the inner ring structure. The outer disk is far too faint for visual observation. Best observed from March through July.
History
Discovered by Pierre Mechain on March 22, 1781. Charles Messier cataloged it on March 24, 1781. Modern studies revealed the starburst ring and the remarkably faint outer disk extending well beyond the visible galaxy.
Fun Facts
M94's inner starburst ring is forming stars at a prodigious rate — it contains a disproportionate fraction of the galaxy's total star formation. Deep photographic imaging has revealed a vast, extremely faint outer disk extending the galaxy's total diameter to about 75,000 light-years, invisible in all but the deepest exposures.