Telescope: Astro-Physics 092 Stowaway	Description:NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 The Whale and the Hockey Stick. 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 from Earth. It was discovered on 20 March 1787 by German-British astronomer William Herschel. This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a whale, hence its nickname. 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. NGC 4631 contains a central starburst, which is a region of intense star formation. The strong star formation is evident in the emission from ionized hydrogen and interstellar dust heated by the stars formed in the starburst. The most massive stars that form in star formation regions only burn hydrogen gas through fusion for a short period of time, after which they explode as supernovae. So many supernovae have exploded in the center of NGC 4631 that they are blowing gas out of the plane of the galaxy. This superwind can be seen in X-rays and in spectral line emission. The gas from this superwind has produced a giant, diffuse corona of hot, X-ray emitting gas around the whole galaxy. NGC 4656/57 is a highly warped edge-on barred spiral galaxy located 30 million light years away from Earth. This galaxy is sometimes called the Hockey Stick Galaxy or the Crowbar Galaxy. Its unusual shape is thought to be due to an interaction between NGC 4656, NGC 4631, and NGC 4627. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 4631 Group. A luminous blue variable in "super-outburst" was discovered in NGC 4656/57 on March 21, 2005. (Wiki).
Mount: Astro-Physics AP1600 GTO	Constellation: Canes Venatici.
Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Monochrome Camera.	Remotely Imaged With Voyager.
Guiding: ZWO ASI174 guide Camera and 60mm Guide Scope	Type: Edge On Galaxies.
Exposure Data: 10 x 10 minute RGB sub exposures with Chroma NB filters. Short RGB subs for stars.	Position: R.A. 12h 43m 57s Dec +32° 10' 05"
Processed using Voyager data aquisition, PixInsight and PhotoShop image processing	Date: February 2026
Data Acquisiton, Reduction and Processing by Jim Janusz	Imaging Location: Maor Observatory at Whitetail Hollow