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] UGC 7865,[2] PGC 42637,[2] Arp 281,[2] Caldwell 32
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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. 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.
^ abcdefghi"NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4631. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
^ ab"NGC 4631". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
NGC4631 (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...
between NGC 4656, NGC4631, and NGC 4627. The galaxy is a member of the NGC4631 Group. A luminous blue variable in "super-outburst" was discovered in NGC 4656/57...
The NGC4631 Group is a poorly defined group of galaxies, about 25 million light-years from Earth in the Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici constellations...
from Earth. NGC 4627 is located 3 arcminutes northwest of the nucleus of NGC4631, a spiral galaxy which interacts with it. R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The...
3215, IC 3247, MCG 5-29- 66, NGC 4080, NGC 4150, NGC 4308, NGC 4455, NGC 4509, NGC 4534, NGC 4627, NGC4631, NGC 4656, NGC 4670, UGC 6900, UGC 7007, UGC...
somewhat resembling a smaller version of the Large Magellanic Cloud. NGC 4236 NGC4631 ^ average(6.9 ± 0.7, 7.5 ± 1.1) = ((6.9 + 7.5) / 2) ± ((0.72 + 1.12)0...
Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 4248 is located about 24 million light-years away. NGC 4242 is a dim galaxy in Canes Venatici. NGC4631 photographed by the Hubble...
objects, such as the Hyades, the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884), and the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253). The Messier catalogue was actually compiled...
other galaxies suffering strong star formation such as Messier 82, NGC4631, or NGC 4666, the stellar winds of the massive stars produced in the starburst...
the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 6872, large interacting barred spiral galaxy claimed in 2013 as largest spiral galaxy NGC 262, lenticular galaxy surrounded...
galaxies, including M51 (Arp 85), Arp 220, and the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/NGC 4039, or Arp 244). A few of the galaxies are simply dwarf galaxies that...
created unusual plumes above the disk of NGC 1532. NGC 1532 is also an outlying member of the Fornax Cluster. NGC4631 – an edge-on spiral galaxy also interacting...
II Program. The catalogue contains 400 objects. All objects are from the NGC. All objects are visible in mid northern latitudes, since they were all observed...
NGC 4062, NGC 4136, NGC 4173, NGC 4203, NGC 4245, NGC 4251, NGC 4274, NGC 4283, NGC 4310, NGC 4314, NGC 4359, NGC 4414, NGC 4509, and NGC 4525. Another...
discovered to date. List of Messier objects NGC 2403 - a similar spiral galaxy NGC4631 - a similar spiral galaxy NGC 7793 - a similar spiral galaxy Using an...
CO in nearby galaxy centers. The star-burst galaxies NGC 278, NGC 660, NGC 3628 NGC4631, and NGC 4666". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 506 (2): 689–702....
NGC 4701 is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the New General Catalogue, located in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by the English astronomer William...
NGC 4614 is a barred lenticular galaxy in the New General Catalog. It is located in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It was discovered in 1864 by...
close physical association with it, together with brighter reflection nebula NGC 2626. The nebulae are rich in hydrogen (including deuterated hydrogen) and...
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