🌌 Object Information

• Name/Designation: Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631) & Crowbar Galaxy (NGC 4656/4657)

• Object Type: Spiral Galaxy & Barred Spiral Galaxy

• Constellation: Canes Venatici

• Distance from Earth: ~30 million light-years

• Apparent Magnitude: ~10

• Angular Size: ~15 arcminutes

📅 Imaging Info

• Date: May 26-31 & June 21-24, 2025

• Location: Athens, Greece

• Frames: 648 × 60″ exposures (10h 48m)

• Camera Settings: Gain 101 | Temperature: -5 °C

• Bortle Scale: 8/9 (city sky)

🔭 Equipment & Guiding

• Imaging Telescope: Sky-Watcher Explorer 130PDS

• Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro

• Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro

• Filter: Baader UV/IR Cut Luminance 2″

• Accessory: Baader 2″ MPCC Mark III Newton Coma Corrector

• Guide Scope: Artesky 32mm Mini Guide Scope

• Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini

🛠️ Software

• Astro Photography Tool (APT)

• PHD2 Guiding

• PixInsight

• BlurXTerminator

• NoiseXTerminator

• StarXTerminator