NGC 4631, the edge-on spiral galaxy also known as the Whale galaxy. Just above it is the small elliptical galaxy NGC 4627. Shaped like a hockey stick, NGC 4656 is located half a degree SE of the Whale Galaxy.
Date: February 5, 2012
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Location: Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria, BC
Optics: TeleVue NP-127is used at f/5.2 with large field corrector
Mount: Paramount ME, guided using PhD
Camera: Hutech modified Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure: 21 light frames of 180 seconds, ISO 800
Processing: Light frames calibrated with dark and flat frames in ImagesPlus. Light frames normalized and combined using MinMax Excluded. Image cropped.