... Starburst Galaxy Messier 94 . ... Beautiful island universe Messier 94 lies a mere 15 million light-years distant in the northern constellation of the hunting dogs, Canes Venatici. A popular target for earth-based astronomers, the face-on spiral galaxy is about 30,000 light-years across, with spiral arms sweeping through the outskirts of its broad disk. ... Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 . ... The grand spiral galaxy can be found toward the northern constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major). ...