NGC 4631 - The Whale Galaxy in Narrowband SHO Palette

NGC 4631 - The Whale Galaxy in Narrowband SHO Palette

Wednesday, April 8th, 2026 at 3:36:16 PM · 2026/Astrophotography

This deep-sky astrophotography image showcases NGC 4631, known as the Whale Galaxy, along with its smaller companion NGC 4656 (the Hockey Stick Galaxy) in the lower right. Captured using narrowband filters (SII, Ha, OIII) and broadband LRGB, the image was processed using the SHO palette to reveal the galaxies' structural details and star-forming regions. The edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4631 displays its distinctive elongated shape against the star-filled background. Total integration time of 1.9 hours was achieved with a ZWO ASI533MM Pro monochrome camera through a TMB-92 f/5.5 APO refractor, with processing including Python and Syqon Starless AI for star removal and layer processing.

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