Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631) and Hockey Stick Galaxy (NGC 4656)
The Whale Galaxy, located in the Canes Venatici constellation, is a spiral
galaxy smaller than the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy. The shapes of
this galaxy and the Hockey Stick Galaxy, seen in the lower left from the
Whale Galaxy, are distorted, indicating that the two galaxies are
gravitationally interacting. These two galaxies are likely to merge into
a larger galaxy. The Subaru Telescope’s Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), the
ultra-wide field-of-view camera, successfully observed the two galaxies
in one shot.
(Credit: Tohoku University/NAOJ). High Res.（ 8.34 MB)
Distance from Earth: About 25 million light-years
Instrument: Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC)
Relevant Links:
(Credit: Tohoku University/NAOJ). High Res.（ 8.34 MB)
Distance from Earth: About 25 million light-years
Instrument: Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC)
Relevant Links:
Source: Subaru Telescope
