NGC 4656/57 is a highly warped edge-on

barred spiral galaxy A barred spiral galaxy is a spiral galaxy with a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars. Bars are found in about two thirds of all spiral galaxies in the local universe, and generally affect both the motions of stars and interstellar gas ...

located in the local universe 30 million light years away from Earth in the

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The first constellati ...

Canes Venatici Canes Venatici ( ) is one of the 88 constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It is a small northern constellation that was created by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Its name is Latin for 'hunting dogs', and ...

. This

galaxy A galaxy is a Physical system, system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar medium, interstellar gas, cosmic dust, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek ' (), literally 'milky', ...

is sometimes called the Hockey Stick Galaxy or the Crowbar Galaxy. Its unusual shape is thought to be due to an interaction between NGC 4656,

NGC 4631 NGC 4631 (also known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici about 30 million light years away from Earth. It was discovered on 20 March 1787 by German-British astronomer William Herschel ...

, and

NGC 4627 NGC 4627 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici Canes Venatici ( ) is one of the 88 constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It is a small northern constellation that was created by Joh ...

. The galaxy is a member of the

NGC 4631 Group The NGC 4631 Group is a poorly defined group of galaxies, about 25 million light-years from Earth in the Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici constellations. The NGC 4631 Group is one of many that lie within the Virgo Supercluster. Members *spira ...

. A

luminous blue variable Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are rare, massive, evolved stars that show unpredictable and sometimes dramatic variations in their spectra and brightness. They are also known as S Doradus variables after S Doradus, one of the brightest stars of th ...

in "super-outburst" was discovered in NGC 4656/57 on March 21, 2005. The Hockey Stick Galaxy

References

External links

Hockey Stick (NGC 4656)

– NGC 4656 Canes Venatici NGC 4631 Group 4656 07907 42863 Interacting galaxies Barred spiral galaxies {{spiral-galaxy-stub

See also

References

External links