The Whale & Crowbar Galaxies

The Whale and Crowbar Galaxies, also known as NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 respectively, are a pair of interacting galaxies located in the constellation Canes Venatici. NGC 4631, the Whale Galaxy, is a large spiral galaxy with a prominent dust lane and a distorted shape due to its interaction with NGC 4656. NGC 4656, the Crowbar Galaxy, is an edge-on spiral galaxy that appears elongated and resembles a crowbar. The two galaxies are connected by a bridge of stars and gas, and their interaction has led to an increase in star formation within both galaxies. The Whale and Crowbar Galaxies are approximately 31 million light-years away from Earth and are part of the Canes Venatici I Cloud, a collection of galaxies that includes the famous Whirlpool Galaxy.