NGC 4559 (Caldwell 36) – The Koi Fish Galaxy
May 21, 2026
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This lovely galaxy is 30 million light years away in the Coma Berenices constellation.
One notable thing about NGC 4559 is that it contains a very rare luminous blue variable star (LBV) catalogued as AT 2016blu. There are only around 20 known LBVs and they exhibit very unusual behavior. They often undergo eruptions so violent that they are mistaken for supernovas. Scientists have observed such outbursts in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The galaxy is rich in star-forming regions and contains a number of them that are separately catalogued as IC 3550, 3551, 3552, 2553, 3554, 3555, and 3564.
Planewave CDK12.5
Telescope
Finder Chart
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Total integration: 37h 28m
Integration per filter:
- Lum: 8h 18m (166 × 180")
- R: 5h 48m (116 × 180")
- G: 5h 51m (117 × 180")
- B: 5h 48m (116 × 180")
- Hα: 11h 30m (69 × 600")
Coordinates: 12h 35m 57s · +27° 57′ 36″
Image Capture
Location:
Deep Sky West
Camera:
Moravian C5a-100M
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