Caldwell 32

One of the brighter Caldwell galaxies, Caldwell 32 is similar to our own Milky Way.

Distance

25 million light-years

Apparent Magnitude

9.2

constellation

Canes Venatici

object type

Barred Spiral Galaxy

c32-1
In the Whale Galaxy’s “tail” (on the right side of the image) there is less dust but still areas of bright blue star formation, driven by interactions with neighboring galaxies. As gas and dust from different galaxies meet in space, denser areas are created, which gravity compacts into new stars.
NASA & ESA

This stream of stars embedded in cosmic clouds is part of Caldwell 32, also cataloged as NGC 4631 and commonly called the Whale Galaxy. Our edge-on view of this galaxy masks the spiral arms that extend outward into space, each overflowing with sparkling stars. The “belly” of the whale (on the left side of the image) is the galactic center, which is lit up by stars bursting into life along with gas that has been heated from supernova explosions. This bright light silhouettes bands of dense, darker material that lie between us and the Whale galaxy’s bright core.

This Hubble image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys, shows an area that is about 140,000 light-years across. Hubble’s observations provide the opportunity to explore this galaxy in visible and near-infrared light, which, combined with X-ray observations from other telescopes, allow scientists to develop a more complete picture of ongoing galactic processes.

Similar in size to the Milky Way, the Whale Galaxy is a located about 25 million light-years away in the Canes Venatici constellation. It is one of the many Caldwell objects discovered by astronomer William Herschel. It has a magnitude of 9.2, requiring large binoculars or a telescope to see it. As one of the brighter Caldwell galaxies, it is a favorite among observers. Spring skies in the Northern Hemisphere (or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere) will provide an optimal view of the Whale galaxy.

For more information about Hubble’s observations of Caldwell 32, see:
The Belly of the Cosmic Whale

c32_annotated_skymap_for_web
This star chart for Caldwell 32 represents the view from mid-northern latitudes for the given month and time.
Image courtesy of Stellarium
A star chart shows C32 as seen from the Southern Hemisphere in the northern night sky in May at 10pm.
This star chart for C32 represents the view from mid-southern latitudes for the given month and time.
Image courtesy of Stellarium

Glossary

Magnitude - The brightness of an astronomical object, represented by a number; bright objects have low numbers on the magnitude scale, while dim objects have high numbers.

Supernova - The explosion of a massive star at the end its life, which ejects material into space and causes the star to temporarily brighten in our sky.

Explore Hubble's Caldwell Catalog

The following pages contain some of Hubble’s best images of Caldwell objects.

Stars with four diffraction spikes dot the scene against a black backdrop.

Caldwell 1

Also known as NGC 188, this group of stars formed from a large cloud of gas making the stars roughly…

Red cloud of dust with a bright white star in the center of it. Lots of reddish and orangish stars in the background.

Caldwell 2

This shell of gas is expanding outward, away from the dying star within.

Large grouping of bright white, blue and red stars. Lightly colored blue dust surrounds the stars.

Caldwell 3

This barred spiral galaxy was first spotted by British astronomer William Herschel in April 1793 in the constellation Draco.