Galaxy
The Whale Galaxy
Also NGC 4631 · Caldwell 32
An edge-on spiral galaxy, slightly bent, shaped like a whale on the sky.
Measured
- Distance
- 24 million light-years
- Size
- about 94,000 light-years across (approximate)
- Constellation
- Canes Venatici
- Position (J2000)
- RA 12h 42m 08s, Dec +32.54°
How far, from the Sun
24 million light-years. To cross it:
- Light24 million years
- Voyager 1's speed426 billion years
- Driving at 100 km/h259 trillion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- It is interacting with a smaller galaxy, NGC 4627, next to it.
- It is moving away from us at about 610 km/s (NASA/IPAC NED).
Where this comes from
- Cosmicflows-3, Tully, Courtois & Sorce 2016, AJ 152, 50 (7.35 Mpc)
- This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
- This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.