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Credit & Copyright: Leonardo Orazi
Explanation:
What could cause the center of
M94 to be so bright?
Spiral galaxy
M94 has a ring of newly formed stars surrounding its nucleus,
giving it not only an
unusual appearance but also a strong interior glow.
A leading progenitor hypothesis holds that an elongated
knot of stars known as a
bar rotates in
M94 and has generated a burst of
star formation in the
inner ring.
Recent observations have revealed the outer, fainter ring is not closed and
relatively complex.
M94,
pictured here spans about 30,000 light years, lies about 15 million light years away,
and can be seen with a
small telescope toward the constellation of the Hunting Dogs
(Canes Venatici).
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: spiral galaxy - starburst galaxy
Publications with words: spiral galaxy - starburst galaxy
See also:
- Webb and Hubble: IC 5332
- APOD: 2026 February 4 Á Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512: Wide Field
- Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
- APOD: 2026 January 14 Á M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy
- IC 342: Hidden Galaxy in Camelopardalis
- NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe
- APOD: 2025 November 5 Á Spiral Galaxy NGC 3370 from Hubble