The Cosmic Whale and Its Galactic Neighbors | Space Wallpaper

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By Space.com Staff
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The Cosmic Whale and Its Galactic Neighbors
NGC 4631, known as The Whale Galaxy, has been found to have a few close neighbor galaxies, including NGC 4627. (Image credit: Copyright R Jay Gabany (Blackbird Observatory)/Collaboration by David Martínez-Delgado (University of Heidelberg), et al.)

A spiral galaxy scarcely 25 million light-years from Earth, The Whale Galaxy is similar in size to the Milky Way. Also known as NGC 4631, the galaxy has a brilliantly glowing elliptical sidekick as well as some other recently discovered neighbors that are dwarf galaxies. The galaxy is also surrounded by tidal star streams, fragments of a dwarf galaxy damaged by the gravitational effects of the Whale. [See more photos of galaxies across the universe.]

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.