Seyfert Galaxy NCG 2768

Galaxy NGC 2768 is located at a distance of about 65 million light-years and found in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. It is a Seyfert galaxy, meaning one with an extremely compact and luminous center whose spectra is bright with highly ionized emission lines. Called an “active” galaxy, NGC 2768 likely has one, and possibly two large black holes at its center. An intricate network of dusty knots and filaments is observational evidence that NGC 2768 suffered a collision with another galaxy whose stars have largely been absorbed into its body, but whose gas and dust orbits the center separately.