Starburst Galaxy M94

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 ). Follow APOD on: Facebook , Google Plus , or Twitter