Galaxy · Spiral
M94
M94 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 15.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 15.3 million light-years (4.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 48,900 light-years · 0.56 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.46 |
| Luminosity | 0.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 50m 53.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +41° 07′ 12″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.46); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 49° S. North of latitude 49° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 15 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 271.9 billion years.