NGC 4559 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located approximately 29 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by the German-British astronomer William Herschel on April 30, 1786. With its distinctive asymmetrical shape, bright star-forming regions, and extended spiral arms, NGC 4559 is an intriguing galaxy for astronomers studying star formation and galactic structure.
NGC 4559 is classified as an SAB(rs)cd galaxy, meaning it has weak bar-like features, a loosely defined central ring, and fragmented spiral arms. It is a relatively large galaxy, spanning about 50,000 light-years across, making it slightly smaller than our Milky Way. The galaxy is tilted at an angle, allowing us to observe both its disk and spiral arms clearly. Its irregular shape and extended disk suggest past interactions with other galaxies or the presence of unseen dark matter affecting its structure.
Capture Details:
Published: Mar 21, 2025
Total integration: 7h 16m
Integration per filter:
LPro: 7h 16m (218 × 120″)
Equipment:
- Telescope: Celestron NexStar 8SE
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Mount: Juwei 17
- Filter: Optolong L-Pro 1.25″
- Software: Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging ‘N’ Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)
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