NGC 3077

Irregular Galaxy NGC 3077

(= H I.286),

type Irr II,

in Ursa Major

Right Ascension	10 : 03.3 (h:m)
Declination	+68 : 44 (deg:m)
Distance	12000 (kly)
Visual Brightness	9.85 (mag)
Apparent Dimension	4.6 x 3.6 (arc min)

NGC 3077 is a smaller member of the

M81 group, located 45′ ESE of

M81.

It looks like an elliptical galaxy, but is peculiar because of two

reasons: First, it shows whispy edges and scattered dust clouds similar

to M82, probably a result of gravitational

interaction with its larger neighbors – similar reason as for M82.

This appearance is the reason for classifying at as E2p, p for

“peculiar”, or irregular of type II.

Second, this galaxy has an active nucleus which caused Carl Seyfert in 1943

to include it in his list of galaxies, later called

Seyfert Galaxies. However, NGC 3077, though an emission line

galaxy, is now no more classified as a Seyfert galaxy.

NGC 3077 was discovered by

William Herschel

who assigned it the catalog number H1.286.

Our image was obtained in 1975 with the 4-meter Mayall telescope

at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Credit: AURA/NOAO/NSF.

• More NOAO images

  
  

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  Hartmut Frommert

  ([email protected])

  Christine Kronberg

  ([email protected])

  

  

  

  

  Last Modification: 3 May 1999, 9:20 MET