| NGC 4631 | |
|---|---|
 An image of NGC 4631 taken with Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici[1] |
| Right ascension | 12h 42m 08.0s[2] |
| Declination | +32° 32′ 29″[2] |
| Redshift | 606 ± 3 km/s[2] |
| Distance | 30 Mly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.8[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SB(s)d[2] |
| Apparent size (V) | 15′.5 × 2′.7[2] |
| Notable features | edge-on |
| Other designations | |
| Whale Galaxy,[3] Arp 281, UGC 7865, PGC 42637,[2] Caldwell 32 | |
NGC 4631 (also known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici about 30 million light years away from Earth. It was discovered on 20 March 1787 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.[4] This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a herring or a whale, hence its nickname.[3] Because this nearby galaxy is seen edge-on from Earth, professional astronomers observe this galaxy to better understand the gas and stars located outside the plane of the galaxy.
- ^ R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-933346-51-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4631. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
- ^ a b "NGC 4631". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
- ^ Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalogue Objects: NGC 4631". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 4 September 2024.