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NGC 4631 and NGC 4656
Exposure Data
- Image Field of View: 55.34' x 36.87'
- Camera Field of View: 74.76' x 49.83'
- Scope: 130 mm f/8 triplet apochromatic refractor
- Focal Length: 1,025 mm
- Focal Ratio: f/8
- Camera: Canon 20Da
- ISO: 1600
- Exposure: 12 x 600 seconds ( 120 minutes total)
- Filter: None
- SQM: 20.80
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Galaxies NGC 4631 (top right) and NGC 4656 (bottom left) are two unusual galaxies in Canes Venatici. In the amateur astronomical community NGC 4631 is called the Whale Galaxy. NGC 4656 is called the Hockey Stick or Golf Club galaxy.
A small companion galaxy, NGC 4627, can be seen next to NGC 4631.
The galaxies, which are located 30 million lights-years away, get their unusual shapes from gravitational interactions with each other. NGC 6431 and NGC 4627 are also listed in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 281.
NGC 4631, a type SBcd galaxy, and NGC 4656, a type SBm galaxy, were discovered by William Herschel in 1787.
North is to the top in the above image.
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NGC 4631, NGC 4656
- Catalogs:
- NGC 4631, UGC 7865, LEDA 42637
- NGC 4656, UGC 7907, LEDA 42863
- Common Name:
- NGC 4631: Whale Galaxy
- NGC 4656: Golf Club, Hockey Stick
- Object Type:
- NGC 4631: SB(s)d edge-on Galaxy
- NGC 4656: SB(s)m pec Galaxy
- Magnitude:
- NGC 4631: 9.0v
- NGC 4656: 10.1v
- Size:
- NGC 4631: 15.2' x 2.8'
- NGC 4656: 15.3' x 2.4'
- Constellation: Canes Venatici
- Image Field Centered At:
- RA: 12h 42m 59s
- Dec: +32° 21' 11"
Individual galaxy coordinates can
be found in the Master List.
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