                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 October 6

                         NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Sherick

   Explanation: NGC 4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy. Seen edge-on,
   it lies only 25 million light-years away in the well-trained northern
   constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy's slightly distorted wedge
   shape suggests to some a cosmic herring and to others its popular
   moniker, The Whale Galaxy. Either way, it is similar in size to our own
   Milky Way. In this sharp color image, the galaxy's yellowish core, dark
   dust clouds, bright blue star clusters, and red star forming regions
   are easy to spot. A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 is
   just above the Whale Galaxy. Faint star streams seen in deep images are
   the remnants of small companion galaxies disrupted by repeated
   encounters with the Whale in the distant past. The Whale Galaxy is also
   known to have spouted a halo of hot gas glowing in X-rays.

                     Tomorrow's picture: jovian close-up
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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