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Galaxy Messier 94 Cat's Eye Galaxy

Object :	M94 (NGC 4736)
Coordinates/Direction :	RA: 12h50m, DEC: +41o07'
Object size :	11' x 9'
Apparent magnitude :	8.2
Distance :	16 Mly
No solar mass :	-
Type :	SA
Discovered by :	Pierre Mechain, year 1781
Find in constellation :	Canes Venatici
More to know :	Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Messier 94

M94, 2026-02-08 + 2026-02-19 + 2026-03-10, crop (Click at image and get a high resolution in a new window)

Date :	2026-02-08 + 2026-02-19 + 2026-03-10
Time (UT) :	-:- to -:-

Exp. time :	54x120 seconds, iso400, dithering every 3rd
Image process tool :	Siril, GraXpert, SyQon, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :	Drizzle, Flat and astrometric color calibrated, background subtraction, stretch
Weather :	Moon phase -%, Temperature -o C, Rel Humidity -%

Comment :

One more night and together with two earlier night's exposures I got a total exposure of 108 minutes, it reduced the noise a bit. It's a little bit special, it looks like two galaxies on top of each other. There are other objects in the background which can be seen here: M94 plate solved, opens in a new window.

M94, 2026-02-08, crop (Click at image and get a high resolution in a new window)

Date :	2026-02-08
Time (UT) :	21:36 to 20:55

Exp. time :	9x120 seconds, iso400, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Siril, GraXpert, VeraLux, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :	Flat and astrometric color calibrated, background, stretch, crop 800x800 pix 1:1 scale
Weather :	Moon phase 60%, Temperature -8o C, Rel Humidity -%

Comment :

Suddenly there was a clear night, out with the telescope and set it up. After one hour when the telescope had cold down I started. After only 9 photos the clouds came back. I had to stop and take down the equipment. Still the image wasn't too bad even with this short exposure.

M94, 2024-02-23, crop (Click at image and get a high resolution in a new window)

Date :	2024-02-23
Time (UT) :	18:58 to 20:05

Exp. time :	28x120 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Siril, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :	bias, flat and astrometric color calibrated, crop 800x800 pix 1:1 scale
Weather :	clear, full Moon, temperature +3o C

Comment :

The core of this galaxy is bright and got over exposed with 120 seconds exposure time. The inner weak spiral arms are only some trace of. Compare with the photos in the Wikipedia page above, the spiral arms reach all the way out to the three bright stars. I guess that a night without moon shine and 200x 60 seconds hade given much better result.

M94, 2023-01-03

Date :	2023-01-03
Time (UT) :	23:22 to 00:02

Exp. time :	30x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Siril, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :	cal dark, flat
Weather :	clear

Comment :

This night I planning to take photos of the comet ZTF. But I have to wait to 3 am in the morning. The time before I use to take photos of the galaxy M 94. It's four years since I took a photo of it. In that time I used my big TS130 refractor, even with that one the galaxy isn't big in the view. Now I only have a tiny 300 focal lens, 1/3 of the telescope. Will I see anything of the galaxy ? The galaxy is the little bright dot in center.

Crop around the galaxy M94, 2023-01-03

Date :	2023-01-03
Time (UT) :	23:22 to 00:02
Comment :	If I crop the photo to 1:1 pixel scale it's easier to see that it's a galaxy. Pretty well when in mind the small telescope I use and from the light polluted environment.

M94, 2019-03-29

Date :	2019-03-29
Time (UT) :	20:31 to 21:05

Exp. time :	24x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	demosaic, no cal dark&bias, only dithering median stacking, flat cal, crop, level, gamma
Weather :	clear

Comment :

M94 is a galaxy discovered 1781 by the French astronomer Pierre Mechain. It needs a lot of more exposure, many hours and longer focal length. Interesting to see the weak halo around the arms of the galaxy, it's also arms of the galaxy.

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