Sunday May 25, 2025

The Croc's Eye Galaxy (evening)

Despite its lack of prominent stars, the constellation Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs contains quite a few superb spring galaxies. Messier 94, aka the Cat's Eye or Croc's Eye Galaxy and NGC 4736, is a relatively bright magnitude 8.2 face-on barred spiral galaxy. Its bright core and dual-ringed spiral arms allow sightings in smaller aperture telescopes and in large binoculars under very dark skies. It is located 1.6 degrees to the northeast of the midpoint between Cor Corali and Chara. It is 16 million l-y away.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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* Origin: CJ's Place, Orange City FL > cjsplace.thruhere.net (21:2/156)