IC 2574, also known as Coddington's

Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...

, is a

dwarf spiral galaxy A dwarf spiral galaxy is the dwarf version of a spiral galaxy. Dwarf galaxies are characterized as having low luminosities, small diameters (less than 5 kpc), low surface brightnesses, and low hydrogen masses. The galaxies may be considered a s ...

discovered by American astronomer

Edwin Foster Coddington Edwin Foster Coddington (June 24, 1870 – December 21, 1950) was an American astronomer and discoverer of astronomical objects. He co-discovered the comet C/1898 L1 (Coddington-Pauly), also known by the older designation Comet 1898 VII. He ...

in 1898. Located in

Ursa Major Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the Northern Sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa M ...

, a constellation in the northern sky, it is an outlying member of the M81 Group. It is believed that 90% of its mass is in the form of dark matter. IC 2574 does not show evidence of interaction with other galaxies. It is currently forming stars; a UV analysis showed clumps of star formation 85 to 500 light-years (26 to 150 pc) in size.

References

Dwarf spiral galaxies Intermediate spiral galaxies Magellanic spiral galaxies Ursa Major M81 Group 2574 05666 30819 Discoveries by Edwin Foster Coddington Astronomical objects discovered in 1898 {{Spiral-galaxy-stub