Home Europe The lesser-known constellation of Canes Venatici is home to this beautiful galax…

The lesser-known constellation of Canes Venatici is home to this beautiful galax…

The lesser-known constellation of Canes Venatici is home to this beautiful galaxy, known as NGC 4861. Astronomers are still debating on how to classify it. While its physical properties — such as mass, size and rotational velocity — indicate it to be a spiral galaxy, its appearance with a luminous ‘head’ and dimmer ‘tail’ is more in fitting with a dwarf irregular galaxy. See https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1704a/