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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / NGC4631

Whale Galaxy (NGC4631) Observation Details

NGC4631

NGC4631 Daily Motion


NGC4631 will be visible until August, 21, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

NGC4631 Visibility Timetable on November 04

NGC4631 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
NGC4631 transit07:5685°
Moon Rise, 96.3% illuminated13:5020°
Sunset15:057°
Civil sunset15:343°
NGC4631 set15:52
Astrosession begin16:35-6°
NGC4631 rise23:57
Astrosession end03:0733°
Moon Set03:3538°
Civil sunrise04:0844°
Sunrise04:3750°

Track NGC4631 Position Throughout the Night

← Tue, 4 November 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe NGC4631 changing position in the night sky.

Where is Whale Galaxy right now?

Whale Galaxy (NGC4631) is located in the constellation Canes Venatici, at right ascension 12h 42m 08s" and declination 32° 32' 29s. Although it is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 85 degrees, NGC4631 is not visible because it is daytime.

NGC4631 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

NGC4631 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

NGC4631 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

NGC4631 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

NGC4631 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for NGC4631

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Object nameNGC4631
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
NGC4631 coordinates12.70223, 32.5415
Center coordinates12.70223, 32.5415

NGC4631 Passage Through Night

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Current position of NGC4631

Time08:00
Latitude37.3541
Longitude-121.955
NGC4631 elevation85°
NGC4631 Azimuth172°
Here you can see the current position of the NGC4631 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the NGC4631's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of NGC4631

Time
DateTue, 4 November 2025
Twighlight start16:31
Twighlight end03:00
Twighlight duration10h 29m
Rise23:57
Set15:48
Elevation at transit85°
Transit time07:53
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 12h 42m 08s", Dec: 32° 32' 29s
Magnitude9
ConstellationCanes Venatici
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a NGC4631, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the NGC4631 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of NGC4631

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension12.70223°
Declination32.5415°
Magnitude9.24
ConstellationCanes Venatici
Elevation85.1°
Azimuth171.6°

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.