NGC 4565 is a distorted edge-on barred spiral galaxy lying 30 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. Its distorted shape resembles that of a hockey stick. It is thought that this distortion is due to gravitational interaction with NGC 4631, The Whale Galaxy (see my image of NGC 4631). Both are undergoing bursts of star formation as a result of the interaction, as can be seen by the numerous bright red emission nebulae forming stars within the hockey stick. The blue star cloud below the hockey stick may not be part of NGC 4565, but is likely a dwarf galaxy in the process of merging with NGC 4656.

Exposures: Ha:L:R:G:B = 360:325:120:120:120 minutes = 17 hours, 25 minutes total exposure, all completely unguided.