NGC4490 is the larger of the two, a bright oval galaxy with a brighter core and stellar nucleus, this inner region seemed to be longer on its SE side, also more tapered out. NGC 4485 was smaller, about 1' across and possibly elongated WSW.
M106 - 12 inch reflector
Seen as a very bright galaxy, a bright core rising to what looked like a stellar nucleus. I saw a magnitude 11 star to the NW arm and I strongly suspected spiral structure along the sides of the galaxy visible as bright arcs which was later confirmed by comparing the observation to a photograph.
M94 - 8.75 inch reflector
A moderately large ball of light and perfectly circular lookin like an unresolved globular cluster! I estimated it to be about 1.5-2' across, this was the fainter nebulosity and there was a blazing nucleus about 30" across.
M51 - The whirlpool galaxy with SN2011dh -10 inch reflector + Watec
What a sight , a proper spiral galaxy. Multiple condensations were seen along the spiral arms, some appearing fan shaped and I observed parts of the western and eastern arms close to the nucleus 'splitting' off into a 'sub arm'. Numerous stars surrounded M51, the brightest about magnitude 11, the faintest just under magnitude 16. This observation recorded the bright supernova SN2011dh in the eastern arm and at the time I estimated a magnitude of 13.9.