NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
Explanation:
NGC
4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy seen
edge-on
only 25 million light-years away towards the small northern
constellation
Canes
Venatici.
This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape suggests to
some a cosmic herring and to others the popular moniker of
The Whale Galaxy.
Either
way, it is similar in size to our own
Milky Way.
In
this gorgeous color image,
the Whale's dark interstellar dust clouds, young bright
blue star clusters, and purplish
star forming regions are easy
to spot.
A
companion
galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 appears above the
Whale Galaxy.
Out of view off the lower left corner of the
picture lies another distorted galaxy, the hockey stick-shaped
NGC 4656.
The distortions and mingling
trails
of gas
and
dust detected at other
wavelengths suggest that all three galaxies have had close encounters
with each other in their past.
The Whale Galaxy is also known to have spouted a halo of hot gas glowing
in
x-rays.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
