NGC 3864

NGC 3864 is a lenticular galaxy located approximately 330 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It is classified as an SB0 galaxy, indicating a barred spiral galaxy with a prominent central bulge and a smooth disk lacking well-defined spiral arms. The "S" denotes its spiral heritage, the "B" signifies the presence of a bar structure across the nucleus, and the "0" indicates the tight, featureless spiral structure.

NGC 3864 is a member of the Leo Cluster (Abell 1367), a rich cluster of galaxies. This cluster environment likely plays a role in the galaxy's morphology, with interactions and gravitational forces stripping away gas and dust, potentially leading to the quenching of star formation and the smoothing out of spiral arms to form a lenticular shape.

The galaxy was discovered by John Herschel on December 20, 1831. Observations suggest that it possesses a supermassive black hole at its center, as is typical for galaxies of its size. Studies of its light profile and kinematics provide insights into the processes of galaxy evolution within dense cluster environments.