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or a whale of a view, slide about 3.5° east-northeast of
NGC 4414 to NGC 4631. Popularly known as the Whale
Galaxy, this 9th-magnitude tapered monolith (oriented
roughly east to west) is replete with dark vapors in a delicate
embrace. Star clumps pepper the 15'-long disk like snowballs
on the side of a house. For a triple treat, check out NGC 4627,
a magnitude 12.5 dwarf elliptical galaxy 3' to the north, and its
equally slender partner, the Hockey Stick (NGC 4656/7), a
magnitude 10.5 edge-on barred spiral 30' to the southeast.
Next is a different sort of pinwheel. NGC 4725 is a peculiar
one-armed spiral — a transition system between a normal spi-
ral and a barred spiral that forms one of the most complete
rings of any galaxy known. To find this magnitude 9.5 gem,
look 2° south and slightly west of 31 Com, which lies near the
North Galactic Pole. Through a 4-inch scope, the galaxy’s inner
region displays a bar that connects a bright, broken inner ring
surrounded by a fainter lens of light.
To find our next treat, travel westward to a point 2° due east
of 17 Com. There, you’ll find the Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565).
This magnitude 9.5 wafer of light has two 8'-long threads of
light extending from the galaxy’s slightly swollen belly — like
silk from a spider’s abdomen. A 4-inch telescope at high power
will resolve NGC 4565’s classic dark lane, which cleanly divides
the galaxy’s bright hub into two distinct ovals.The last object is the Lost Galaxy (NGC 4535). While rela-
tively bright (magnitude 10.5), this barred spiral is of low sur-
face brightness, so it’s a challenge to small-scope observers. The
7'-long glow lies 2¼° northwest of 31 Vir and, in a 4-inch scope,
shines as a circular patch of ill-defined light. Views through
12-inch and larger scopes bring out the spiral’s main, S-shaped
arms within what I describe as “extragalactic ectoplasm.”BONUS: A FINISHING STITCH
We’ll end our needlework with magnitude 10 NGC 4762, an
edge-on system 2° west and slightly north of Vindemiatrix
(Epsilon [ε] Virginis). A 5-inch scope shows it as a 9'-by-2' wisp
sporting a nuclear bead within an inner lens. Bright dots f lank
the core, beyond which threads give way to hyperfine exten-
sions. In larger scopes, the thin disk tapers to sharp points.
And with that, our galactic stitchwork is done. But there’s an
entire universe at your disposal, and I encourage you to sew
your own wonders together. As the late hand-knitting expert
Elizabeth Zimmermann said, “Properly practiced, knitting
soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled
spirit either.” Enjoy.SECTION 4
Our final section encompasses parts of Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Virgo.
Stephen James O’Meara is a contributing editor and columnist
for Astronomy who enjoys frequent trips into the deep sky.NGC 4565
ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONABOB FERANGC 4725ESA/NASA/HUBBLENGC 4762ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONANGC 4535NGC 4631R. JAY GABANY