🌟 Unusual and Memorable Shapes
These galaxies are not your typical spirals. NGC 4631 resembles a giant celestial whale, with a thick, mottled body and hints of structure that suggest ongoing star formation. NGC 4656 appears stretched and sharply bent, earning it the nickname “Hockey Stick.” Their distorted forms are vivid even in modest telescopes and give visual observers something truly unusual to study.

🌟 Bright Enough for Small to Medium Telescopes
At magnitude 9.3, NGC 4631 is one of the brighter edge-on galaxies visible from northern latitudes. NGC 4656, at magnitude 10.5, is only slightly fainter and still easily within reach of a 6- to 8-inch telescope. Even small telescopes under dark skies will show both galaxies as elongated, structured smudges with character.

🌟 Intriguing Evidence of Galactic Interaction
The asymmetry of these galaxies isn’t random—it’s a result of tidal interactions. NGC 4631 has a faint elliptical companion, NGC 4627, and NGC 4656 may have been gravitationally affected by its larger neighbor. Observing them together gives a snapshot of galactic dynamics in action, making them not only beautiful, but astrophysically meaningful.

🌟 Excellent Wide-Field Pairing
Both galaxies lie within a half-degree of each other -- the width of the Moon -- and can be observed together. In fact, even large-aperture scopes may capture both in a single view. They’re especially satisfying when framed together at low magnification—like a celestial scene in motion.

🌟 Well-Placed in the Spring Sky
From March through May, these galaxies are high in the evening sky for northern observers. Located near Cor Caroli in Canes Venatici and just east of the handle of the Big Dipper, they are easy to locate and well positioned for a relaxing, unhurried view throughout spring nights.

🌟 Great Targets for Sketching or Imaging
The dramatic structure of NGC 4631 and the curious curve of NGC 4656 make them excellent sketching subjects. For imagers, both galaxies offer plenty of detail: from the dust lanes and starburst regions in the Whale Galaxy to the tenuous arc and tidal features in the Hockey Stick. Together, they form a photogenic and highly rewarding composition.

Like so many great targets, to find the Whale and Hockey Stick Galaxies, we start with the Big Dipper in Ursa Major.

Using Alkaid (+1.86), the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, look directly below for moderately bright Cor Caroli (+2.89), the brightest star in the constellation Canes Venatici. Continue down in the same direction and distance for much dimmer Gamma Com (+4.34), one of the main stars in the constellation Coma Berenices. Notice that three stars form a straight line and are equidistant.

Imagine a line stretching from Cor Caroli to Gamma Com. With your telescope finder, point to the halfway point on this line. Then, using a low-powered eyepiece, scan slightly east looking for the Whale Galaxy which will appear as a soft, elongated glow. If you see a couple of bright stars instead -- HR 4783 (+5.42) and HR 4784 (+6.23) -- you've gone in the wrong direction. To find the Hockey Stick, simply look 0.5° further east -- at low power, both can appear in the same field of view. It is more diffuse and slightly fainter. Spend time adjusting magnification to take in the full shapes and details of both galaxies.

✅ Observe Under Dark Skies
Though NGC 4631 is bright, both galaxies benefit from Bortle 1–3 skies. Their low surface brightness and faint outer extensions are much easier to spot in dark conditions, where their warped edges and mottled cores stand out clearly.

✅ Let Your Eyes Adapt and Take Your Time
Give yourself 20–30 minutes of dark adaptation before observing. These galaxies reward slow, careful viewing—structure like the thickened “head” of the Whale or the bend in the Hockey Stick emerges with time and averted vision.

✅ Use a Wide Field of View
Both galaxies are large and elongated—NGC 4631 spans nearly 15 arcminutes, and NGC 4656 stretches about half of that. A low-power, wide-field eyepiece (around 50× to 80×) helps capture each galaxy’s full shape and curvature in one view without losing structure at the edges.

✅ Try Medium Magnification for Detail
After enjoying the wide view, increase magnification to around 120× to 150× to explore structure. In NGC 4631, look for uneven brightness across the disk and signs of dark lanes; in NGC 4656, the subtle kink and curve become more apparent.

✅ Look for Companion Galaxies
Near NGC 4631, try spotting NGC 4627, a faint elliptical companion just above the galaxy’s disk. With a medium or large telescope and steady skies, it appears as a small, diffuse glow—an extra challenge that adds to the scene’s richness.

✅ Observe When They’re High in the Sky
Aim to view them when they’re near the meridian—typically late evening from March to May. When high overhead, you’ll get the sharpest contrast and least atmospheric distortion for these extended targets.

❌ Naked Eye
NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 are completely invisible to the naked eye. Despite NGC 4631’s brightness compared to many galaxies, neither object comes close to being visible without optical aid, even under the darkest skies.

❌ Binoculars
In binoculars, particularly larger ones like 15×70s under dark skies, NGC 4631 may appear as a very faint, elongated smudge if you know exactly where to look. NGC 4656 is more difficult due to its fainter and more diffuse light. Neither shows structure, and both are extremely subtle. Binoculars can point the way, but they won’t resolve either galaxy meaningfully.

✅ Small Telescope
A small telescope, such as a 3- to 4-inch refractor, brings NGC 4631 clearly into view as a spindle-shaped glow with a noticeably brighter core. Its whale-like elongation is easy to detect under dark skies. NGC 4656 becomes visible as a faint streak, but its curvature is harder to appreciate at this aperture. The overall impression is two pale, misty shapes with little detail.

✅ Medium Telescope
In a medium telescope of 6 to 8 inches, both galaxies become striking. NGC 4631 reveals its full length and shows mottled texture along the disk, especially with averted vision. Its thickened central bulge and hints of asymmetry suggest interaction. NGC 4656 displays its distinctive bent shape more clearly, curving like a hook across the field. The contrast improves, and both galaxies begin to show their individual personalities.

✅ Large Telescope
With a large telescope of 10 inches or more, NGC 4631 becomes a showpiece galaxy. The mottling turns into identifiable irregularities and faint dark lanes, especially under steady skies. Its nearby elliptical companion, NGC 4627, may also be visible hovering just above the disk. NGC 4656 stretches across the field with a distinct kink, and its warped edges begin to show faint structure. Together, the pair becomes a dramatic, asymmetrical, and richly detailed scene.

🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, both galaxies are bold and impressive. NGC 4631 shows a long, mottled disk with a bright core and hints of internal texture. Its distorted shape stands out easily. NGC 4656 appears as a faint but distinct arc, with its curved “hockey stick” structure clearly noticeable in a wide field. The overall scene is rich, detailed, and highly engaging.

🔵 Under Bortle 3–4 skies, the pair remains rewarding. NGC 4631 still shows its elongated form and bright core, but subtle mottling and fainter extensions begin to fade. NGC 4656 is visible, though its curved shape softens, appearing more like an uneven streak than a dramatic bend.

🟡 In Bortle 5–6 skies, both galaxies lose contrast. NGC 4631 becomes a pale spindle with a bright core but little texture. NGC 4656 fades into the background and may appear as a faint smudge without clear structure. The sense of distortion in both objects is greatly diminished.

🟠 Under Bortle 7+ skies, light pollution overwhelms their detail. NGC 4631 might still be visible as a dim, narrow blur with a brighter center, but its shape and size are muted. NGC 4656 becomes difficult or impossible to detect without large aperture and high magnification.