The Whale Galaxy NGC4631
Taken by Tom Wildoner on April 11, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
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Date Taken: 2026:05:23 18:27:38
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Details:
NGC 4631, famously known as the Whale Galaxy, is a spectacular, large edge-on spiral galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. It gets its popular nickname from its highly distinct silhouette, which closely resembles a giant cosmic cetacean swimming through the deep sky. Because we view it directly along its galactic plane, its well-defined central bulge and an intricate, mottled network of dark dust lanes and brilliant pink star-forming regions are beautifully exposed. NGC 4631 is also a hotbed of intense starburst activity, driven by ancient gravitational tides from its nearby companions, including the small elliptical galaxy NGC 4627 (often called the "Calf") resting near it.
🔠Technical Details:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC BIN1
Mount: EQ6R Mount
Capture: 90 x 60 seconds
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: DSS and PixInsight
Image Date: April 11, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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