NGC 3877 is a type Sc spiral galaxy

Spiral galaxy

A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...

 that was discovered by William Herschel

William Herschel

Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19...

 on February 5, 1788. It is located below the magnitude

Apparent magnitude

The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...

 3.7 star Chi Ursae Majoris

Chi Ursae Majoris

Chi Ursae Majoris is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. It has the traditional names Alkafzah, Alkaphrah, and El Koprah.Chi Ursae Majoris is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.69...

 in Ursa Major

Ursa Major

Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...

.

Supernova

The Type IIn supernova

Supernova

A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...

 SN 1998S

SN 1998S

SN 1998S was a supernova that happened in NGC 3877. It was a type II supernova.-External links:* * http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/DDO/research/DDOSNe.html...

 is the only supernova that has been observed within NGC 3877.

Environment

NGC 3877 is a member of the M109 Group, a group of galaxies located in the constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

 Ursa Major that may contain over 50 galaxies. The brightest galaxy in the group is the spiral galaxy

Spiral galaxy

A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...

 M109

Messier 109

Messier 109 is a barred spiral galaxy approximately away in the constellation Ursa Major. M109 can be seen southeast of the star Phecda .-History:Messier 109 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781...

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