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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                  2022 October 6   
      
                            NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy   
                     Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Sherick   
      
      Explanation: NGC 4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy. Seen edge-on,   
      it lies only 25 million light-years away in the well-trained northern   
      constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy's slightly distorted wedge   
      shape suggests to some a cosmic herring and to others its popular   
      moniker, The Whale Galaxy. Either way, it is similar in size to our own   
      Milky Way. In this sharp color image, the galaxy's yellowish core, dark   
      dust clouds, bright blue star clusters, and red star forming regions   
      are easy to spot. A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 is   
      just above the Whale Galaxy. Faint star streams seen in deep images are   
      the remnants of small companion galaxies disrupted by repeated   
      encounters with the Whale in the distant past. The Whale Galaxy is also   
      known to have spouted a halo of hot gas glowing in X-rays.   
      
                        Tomorrow's picture: jovian close-up   
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          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
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