NGC 4565 (Coma Berenices)

The edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4565 (Caldwell 38, Needle Galaxy), located in the constellation Coma Berenices, is widely regarded as one of the finest edge-on galaxies observable with small and medium-sized telescopes. Its striking, needle-like appearance is dominated by a thin stellar disk intersected by a prominent dark dust lane.

The galaxy’s morphology and kinematic studies indicate that it is a barred spiral galaxy. Like our own Milky Way, NGC 4565 exhibits a central bulge and an extended disk, making it an important object for studying galactic structure from an external perspective.

NGC 4565 has a diameter of roughly 100,000 light-years, comparable to that of the Milky Way. It is located at a distance of about 55–60 million light-years from Earth. Despite sometimes being described as highly luminous, its total luminosity is actually somewhat lower than that of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31).

The galaxy is one of the brightest members of the Coma I Group, a relatively nearby association of galaxies situated in the foreground of the much richer and more distant Coma Cluster and Leo Cluster. Like these structures, it is part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, to which our own Local Group also belongs.

NGC 4565 was discovered in 1785 by the German-British astronomer William Herschel.

Technical Details:
Exposure time: 5h 3min (101x3min)
Gain: 100
Temperature: -10°C
Date: March 19/20, 2026
Processing: Astro Pixel Processor (APP) and Photoshop
Calibration: Darks, flats, and bias

Equipment:
Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope, ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off-axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus