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Croc's Eye Galaxy (M94)
spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici
M94, the Croc's Eye Galaxy, is a compact spiral in Canes Venatici with an exceptionally bright core and a bright inner ring of star formation, surrounded by a much fainter outer ring. It is one of the brighter galaxies for its size.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- M94
- Type
- spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Canes Venatici
- Size
- 11′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.2
- Distance
- about 16 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Apr
- Typical prime months
- Jan to Jun
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
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How to image Croc's Eye Galaxy
- At 11 arcminutes, use 1,000 to 1,500 mm.
- The bright core is easy, but the outer ring needs a dark sky and long exposure.
- High in the sky on spring evenings from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M94 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 14% |
| 2,000 mm | about 27% |
| 3,000 mm | about 41% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M94 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 76° | High in the sky |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 86° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 84° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 74° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 14° | Stays low |
Also worth imaging
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