The lesser-known constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs), is home to a variety of deep-sky objects--including 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 looks more like a comet with its dense, luminous "head" and dimmer "tail" trailing off. Features more fitting with a dwarf irregular galaxy.
The lesser-known constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs), is home to a variety of deep-sky objects--including 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 looks more like a comet with its dense, luminous "head" and dimmer "tail" trailing off. Features more fitting with a dwarf irregular galaxy.
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