|
Designations:
|
M94, NGC 4736
|
||
|
Object Type:
|
Spiral Galaxy
|
||
|
Constellation:
|
Canes Venatici
|
||
|
12 hr 50.9 min
|
+41° 7 min
|
||
|
8.2
|
Size:
|
11.2 X 9.1 arcminutes
|
|
|
Distance:
|
14 million light years
|
||
|
Discoverer:
|
Pierre Mechain, 1781
|
||
|
Despite its placid appearance, M94 may have experienced a violent explosion
only 10 million years ago - a cleansing event that disgorged millions of solar masses of material out of it's
disk or nucleus. Episodes of violent behavior may be typical for spiral systems; if so, we are seeing this
mundane-looking spiral in a quiescent state. Its disk is oriented nearly face on to us, and photographs through
large instruments reveal its tightly wrapped arms, reminiscent of those in satellite views of a tropical hurricane.
|
|
Telescope:
|
Meade 10" LX200 OTA
|
|
Focal Length:
|
2500 mm
|
|
Mount:
|
LX200 on a Superwedge
|
|
Camera
|
Starlight XPress MX916
|
|
Guider:
|
Starlight XPress S.T.A.R 2000 Autoguider
|
|
Exposures:
|
900 seconds
|
|
Location:
|
Cicero, IN
|
|
Software:
|