The M94 Group (also known as the Canes Venatici I Group or CVn I Group) is a loose, scattered group of galaxies located approximately 13 million light-years (4 megaparsecs) from Earth. It primarily spans the constellations Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices. As one of the closest galaxy groups to the Local Group, which contains the Milky Way, it is a significant subject of study regarding the local large-scale structure of the universe.
The group is named after its brightest member, Messier 94 (M94), also designated NGC 4736. M94 is a spiral galaxy notable for its two-ring structure and intense star-forming activity in its inner region. Other prominent members of the group include the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4244 and the low-surface-brightness spiral galaxy NGC 4395. The group also contains several dwarf galaxies.
In terms of cosmic architecture, the M94 Group is situated within the Virgo Supercluster (the Local Supercluster). Unlike many galaxy groups that are tightly bound by gravity, the M94 Group is characterized by a sparse and elongated distribution. Due to this lack of dense concentration, the exact membership of the group is sometimes a subject of academic discussion. Different identification algorithms and distance measurement techniques result in varying lists of constituent galaxies. While most catalogs agree on the core members, the total number of galaxies attributed to the group typically ranges from 16 to 24, depending on the criteria for gravitational binding and spatial proximity used by researchers.
Observations indicate that the M94 Group is not currently undergoing a significant collapse into a single virialized structure, which distinguishes it from more compact groups like the Stephan's Quintet. Instead, the members appear to be moving away from each other along with the general expansion of the universe, though they maintain a distinct spatial association relative to the surrounding cosmic voids.