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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M94

M94 Observation Details

M94

M94 Daily Motion


M94 will be visible until September, 4, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M94 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Sunset17:109°
Civil sunset17:415°
M94 Rise00:12
Astrosession begin05:2747°
Astrosession end06:2157°
Civil sunrise06:5563°
Sunrise07:2569°
M94 transit09:1889°

Track M94 Position Throughout the Night

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M94 changing position in the night sky.

M94 - Croc's Eye Galaxy

The Croc's Eye Galaxy (M94) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M94 is known for its bright central region and outer ring of stars.

M94 spans about 50,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 16 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.2, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M94 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M94 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M94 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M94 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M94 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M94

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Object nameM94
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M94 coordinates12.84807, 41.12044
Center coordinates12.84807, 41.12044

M94 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M94

Time05:27
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M94 elevation47°
M94 Azimuth-69°
Here you can see the current position of the M94 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M94's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M94

Time
DateFri, 22 November 2024
Twighlight start18:42
Twighlight end05:44
Twighlight duration11h 2m
Rise00:08
Set18:21
Elevation at transit89°
Transit time09:14
Equatorial coordinateRA: 12h 50m 53s, Dec: 41° 07' 13"
Magnitude8
ConstellationCanes Venatici
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M94, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M94 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.