Stargazing News - May 21st, 2025
From
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All on Tue May 20 05:41:25 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
The Whale and Hockey Stick Galaxies (all night)
Coma Berenices contains many lesser-known fine galaxies that are visible in backyard telescopes. The magnitude 9.2 Whale Galaxy, also designated NGC 4631 and Caldwell 32, is a relatively large, edge-on barred spiral galaxy with a tiny companion galaxy NGC 4627 just to its north. Together, they resemble a spouting whale. It is located 5.3 northeast of Al Dafirah in the direction of the bright double star Cor Caroli. Another prominent galaxy called the Crowbar Galaxy, or Hockey Stick Galaxy (or NGC 4656) is positioned close enough on the southeastern side of the whale to show up in the same field of view. The Crowbar appears as a slim, fuzzy slash of light with a bent end designated NGC 4657. The Whale and Hockey Stick galaxies are about 25 and 30 million light years away from us, respectively.
(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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