Arp 281 consists of NGC 4631 (UGC 7865, the Whale Galaxy and others) the large barred spiral galaxy and NGC 4627 (UGC 7860 and others), the smaller dwarf elliptical companion. Part of Arp’s ‘Double galaxies with infall and attraction’ class, both are located approximately 30 million light-years away in Canes Venatici.
I also find MCG+06-28-022 (PGC 42772), the small blue smudge next to the star on the left side of the image interesting.
Luminance – 26x600s – 260 minutes – binned 1x1
RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2x2
380 minutes total exposure – 6 hours 20 minutes
Imaged April 14th, 15th and 17th and May 2nd, 2018 from Dark Sky New Mexico at Rancho Hidalgo (Animas, New Mexico) with a SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm.
LRGB - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcrowson/28021715758/sizes/l