NGC 4656 and NGC 4657

NGC 4656/57 is a highly warped edge-on barred spiral galaxy located in the local universe 30 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy is sometimes called the Hockey Stick Galaxy or the Crowbar Galaxy. Its unusual shape is thought to be due to an interaction between NGC 4656, NGC 4631, and NGC 4627. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 4631 Group.

A luminous blue variable in "super-outburst" was discovered in NGC 4656/57 on March 21, 2005.