NGC 3184

NGC 3184 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It's classified as an SAB(rs)c galaxy, indicating a weakly barred spiral structure with inner ring features and loosely wound spiral arms.

NGC 3184 is known for its relatively high abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) and its numerous H II regions – regions of ionized hydrogen gas where active star formation is occurring. These H II regions give the galaxy a mottled appearance in images, particularly in the spiral arms.

The galaxy has a diameter of about 55,000 light-years, making it smaller than our Milky Way galaxy. It is relatively isolated in space and not part of any major galaxy cluster.

Several supernovae have been observed in NGC 3184, including SN 1921B, SN 1937F, and SN 1999gi. These events provide valuable data for astronomers studying the life cycle of stars and the evolution of galaxies.

NGC 3184 is a popular target for amateur astronomers due to its relatively bright apparent magnitude and its rich details that can be observed through moderate-sized telescopes.