The Whale & Hockey Stick Galaxies: NGC 4631 (& NGC 4656)
 Images Copyright © 2008, Dick Locke.  All Rights Reserved.  Contact and Image Use Information 

The Whale and the Hockey Stick Galaxy Pictures
NGC4656 (hockey), NGC4631 (Whale, right)

These Galaxies are between Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices., which are well-placed for viewing in the spring in the northern hemisphere.   A closer look at each galaxy is shown below.  NGC 4627 is above the whale, to the right.  All are spiral galaxies and are believed to be gravitationally interacting with each other.  There are also numerous small galaxies in the frame.

Hockey Stick and Whale Galaxy Pictures: Close-ups

More info on these objects can be found on this APOD page.

Image details. 8 * 4 = 32 minutes total exposures 2/1/2008 at the HAS site near Columbus around 5.a.m.  There was a ~ 1/3rd full moon 70 degrees away.  Canon EOS 20Da (unmodified), Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor) with Tak flattener, and Astro-Physics AP 900GTO mount.    My current image processing workflow is here.

Object name: NGC 4631
Other ID: PGC 42637
Magnitude: 9.7
Object type: Spiral Galaxy
Source catalog: PGC (Principal Galaxies Catalog)
Alias 1: UGC7865
Alias 2: MCG6-28-20
Alias 3: CGCG188-16
Alias 4: KUG1239+328B
Alias 5: (ARP281)
Alias 6: KCPG350A
Alias 7: IRAS12396+3249
NGC/IC: 4631

Object name: NGC 4656
Other ID: PGC 42863
Magnitude: 11.4
Object type: Spiral Galaxy
Source catalog: PGC (Principal Galaxies Catalog)
Alias 1: NGC4657
Alias 2: UGC7907
Alias 3: MCG5-30-66
Alias 4: CGCG159-65
Alias 5: KUG1241+324
Alias 6: FGCA174
Alias 7: KCPG350B
Alias 8: IRAS12415+3226
Position angle: 32°00'
Hour angle: 06h 45m 45s
Air mass: 8.09
Screen x,y: 661.00, 570.00
Sidereal time: 19:30
Click distance: 13.0000
Catalog number: 42863
Celestial type: 8
NGC/IC: 4656
Catalog: 0
Angular separation: 00°00'03"