NGC 4631 / NGC 4656, Robin Sievert

NGC 4631 / NGC 4656

NGC 4631 / NGC 4656, Robin Sievert

NGC 4631 / NGC 4656

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

I used last week's fair-weather catastrophe to photograph the combination of whale galaxy NGC 4631 (top right) and "Hockey Stick" galaxy NGC 4656 (bottom left) in the constellation Canes Venatici.The Whale Galaxy NGC 4631, with its overlying companion galaxy NGC 4627, is about 28 million light-years away and about the size of our own Milky Way. The nebula surrounding the galaxy consists of hot gas that stretches out to 25,000 light-years across the galactic plane.Like the Whale Galaxy, the "Hockey Stick" Galaxy NGC 4656 is a barred spiral galaxy located 30 million light-years away. Their unusual shape is likely due to a past interaction with NGC 4631.

Comments

Histogram

NGC 4631 / NGC 4656, Robin Sievert