NGC 4651, also known as the Umbrella Galaxy, is a captivating spiral galaxy located approximately 62 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. Its nickname comes from the faint, umbrella-shaped structure that extends about 100,000 light-years beyond the bright galactic disk. This structure is composed of tidal star streams, which are remnants of a smaller galaxy that was gravitationally stripped and torn apart by NGC 4651's tidal forces.
The Umbrella Galaxy is part of the Virgo Cluster and is known for its rich content of neutral hydrogen, which extends beyond the optical disk. Unlike most spiral galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, NGC 4651 has typical star formation activity for a galaxy of its type. The galaxy has also experienced two supernovae: SN 1987K and SN 2006my.