NGC 4151


Combination of 5, 3 minute images unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD. 20" f/6.8 Dall-Kirkham cassegrain telescope at prime focus.

NGC 4151 is a distorted barred spiral galaxy, sometimes listed as Peculier, that is located in Canes Venatici. The inner disk of the galaxy is very bright, but the spiral arms, particularly the one to the west, are very faint and extended. It would appear that the galaxy has had a close encounter with another galaxy some time in the relatively recent past. The most likely culprit is not the small spiral galaxy to the upper left, (NGC 4156, Magnitude 13.1) as it is too regular. Rather it is more likely to be the extremely distorted spiral directly to the left. This is magnitude 17.1 PGC 38811.