2002年11月21日:星暴增(Starburst) 星系 M94-（Starburst Galaxy M94）--原图下载
Credit & Copyright: Hillary Mathis & N.A.Sharp (NOAO), AURA, NSF
说明: 为什么星系M94的核心会如此明亮呢？ 螺旋星系M94的核心周围绕着一环刚诞生的恒星，让星系的外观变得很奇特，同时也让核心发出很强的辉光。现在最可信的触发机制理论认为，星系M94有着由恒星组成的长结，像棒子般不停地转动，产生一个向外扩张的环状星暴增区。 上面这张经过数位增锐的M94影像，涵盖的区域大约有30光年。M94位在北天的猎犬座 (Canes Venatici)，距离我们约有一千五百万光年远，用小口径的望远镜就能看见它。
原文：
Credit & Copyright: Hillary Mathis & N.A.Sharp (NOAO), AURA, NSF
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 form of an outward moving ring. M94, pictured above digitally sharpened, 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 Canes Venatici.
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