Messier 94

"Cat's Eye Galaxy" redirects here. For the nebula, see Cat's Eye Nebula.
Messier 94[1][2][3]
Galaxy Messier 94 in Canes Venatici
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationCanes Venatici[4]
Right ascension12h 50m 53.1s[5]
Declination+41° 07′ 14″[5]
Redshift0.001027±0.000005[5]
Heliocentric radial velocity308±1 km/s[5]
Galactocentric velocity360±3 km/s[5]
Distance16.0 ± 1.3 Mly (4.91 ± 0.40 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)8.2[6]
Characteristics
Type(R)SA(r)ab,[5] LINER[5]
Apparent size (V)11.2 × 9.1 moa[5]
Other designations
NGC 4736, UGC 7996, PGC 43495[5]

Messier 94 (also known as NGC 4736, Cat's Eye Galaxy, Crocodile Eye Galaxy, or Croc's Eye Galaxy[7][8]) is a spiral galaxy in the mid-northern constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781,[9] and catalogued by Charles Messier two days later. Although some references describe M94 as a barred spiral galaxy, the "bar" structure appears to be more oval-shaped.[10] The galaxy has two ring structures.[5]

  1. ^ J. L. Tonry; A. Dressler; J. P. Blakeslee; E. A. Ajhar; et al. (2001). "The SBF Survey of Galaxy Distances. IV. SBF Magnitudes, Colors, and Distances". Astrophysical Journal. 546 (2): 681–693. arXiv:astro-ph/0011223. Bibcode:2001ApJ...546..681T. doi:10.1086/318301. S2CID 17628238.
  2. ^ I. D. Karachentsev; M. E. Sharina; A. E. Dolphin; E. K. Grebel; et al. (2003). "Galaxy flow in the Canes Venatici I cloud". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 398 (2): 467–477. arXiv:astro-ph/0210414. Bibcode:2003A&A...398..467K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20021598. S2CID 6310283.
  3. ^ average(17.0 ± 1.4, 15 ± 2) = ((17.0 + 15) / 2) ± ((1.42 + 22)0.5 / 2) = 16.0 ± 1.3
  4. ^ R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation / Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-933346-51-2.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for M94. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Messier 94". SEDS Messier Catalog. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Messier 94: Cat's Eye Galaxy". Messier Objects. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  8. ^ Anderson, Natali (19 October 2015). "Hubble Captures Stunning Image of Messier 94". Sci.News. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  9. ^ Kepple, George Robert; Glen W. Sanner (1998). The Night Sky Observer's Guide. Vol. 2. Willmann-Bell. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-943396-60-6.
  10. ^ J. Kormendy; R. C. Kennicutt Jr. (2004). "Secular Evolution and the Formation of Pseudobulges in Disk Galaxies". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 42 (1): 603–683. arXiv:astro-ph/0407343. Bibcode:2004ARA&A..42..603K. doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.42.053102.134024. S2CID 515479.