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Credit & Copyright: David Martínez-Delgado (University of Heidelberg),
et al.
Explanation:
NGC
4631 is a spiral galaxy found only 25 million light-years away,
toward the well-trained northern constellation
Canes
Venatici.
Seen ege-on, the galaxy is similar in size to
the Milky Way.
Its distorted wedge shape suggests to
some a cosmic herring and to others its popular moniker,
The Whale Galaxy.
The large galaxy's small, remarkably bright elliptical
companion NGC 4627 lies just above its dusty yellowish core,
but also identifiable are recently
discovered,
faint dwarf galaxies within the halo of NGC 4631.
In fact, the faint extended features below (and above)
NGC 4631 are now recognized as tidal star streams.
The star streams are remnants of a dwarf satellite galaxy
disrupted by repeated encounters with the Whale that began
about 3.5 billion years ago.
Even in nearby galaxies,
the presence of tidal star streams is
predicted by cosmological models of galaxy formation, including the
formation of our own Milky Way.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 4631 - spiral galaxy - interacting galaxies
Publications with words: NGC 4631 - spiral galaxy - interacting galaxies
See also:
- APOD: 2026 February 4 Á Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512: Wide Field
- Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
- APOD: 2026 January 14 Á M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy
- IC 342: Hidden Galaxy in Camelopardalis
- NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe
- APOD: 2025 November 5 Á Spiral Galaxy NGC 3370 from Hubble
- Galaxies in the River