Deep Sky Object in Spring
NGC4631 & NGC4656 (Galaxies in Canes Venatici)


Click on image to enlarge

Date & Time: Mar 20 2020, from 22:35 to 23:42 JST(+0900)
Composed 12 shots with 6 minutes exposed
Optical: Meade 25cm(10") Schmidt-Cassegrain with conversion lens (f=1600mm, F6.3)
with BaaderPlanetarium Moon&Skyglow filter
Auto-guided with Meade LX200 Equatorial & Lacerta M-GEN
Digital Camera: Nikon D810A
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording Format...14bit CCD-RAW, converted to 16bit TIFF(4080×4080)
Device Size...20×20mm
Sensitivity...ISO4000, White Balance...Daylight



NGC4631 / Galaxy, type SB(s)d III
R.A.12h 42m 11.4s (2000.0)
Dec.+32° 32' 39" (2000.0)
Apparent Size15.5×2.7'
Radial Velocity+683km/s
Magnitude9.8
Distance22.5 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesNGC4631 Group
Other IDsUGC7865, MCG6-28-20,
CGCG188-16, PGC42637
Arp 281
NGC4656 / Galaxy, type SB(s)m pec IV
R.A.12h 43m 57.9s (2000.0)
Dec.+32° 10' 18" (2000.0)
Apparent Size15.0×2.9'
Radial Velocity+683km/s
Magnitude10.6
Distance22.5 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesNGC4631 Group
Other IDsUGC7907, MCG5-30-66,
PGC42863
This image shows you two unique-shaped galaxies around the south edge of Canes Venatici. Upper right-hand and lower left-hand ones are NGC4631 and NGC4656 respectively. Both of them are being edge-on.
Though they are typical spiral galaxies, fairly strained by the gravitational exchange each other. NGC4631 has the apparent length of 15.5 arc minute and the magnitude about 10, its slender shape is clearly seen with small telescopes. But NGC4656 is a bit dimmer with the magnitude of 10.6, should be needed a medium-sized telescope. I associate these galaxies floating in the dark universe with two fishes sailing.
The galaxies lie on about 22 million light years away. And you can notice a tiny satellite galaxy of NGC4627 snuggling up to the north of NGC4631.




NGC4565

NGC4725


Copyright(c) 2020 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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