NGC 2146 (also known as the Dusty Hand Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy type SB(s)ab pec in the constellation Camelopardalis. The galaxy was discovered in 1876 by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke.
NGC 2146 has an isophotal diameter of , slightly larger than the Milky Way. The galaxy's most conspicuous feature is the dusty lanes of a spiral arm lying across the core of the galaxy as seen from Earth, the arm having been bent 45 degrees by a close encounter with a smaller galaxy, possibly NGC 2146A, about 0.8 billion years ago. This close encounter is credited with the relatively high rates of star formation that qualify NGC 2146 as a starburst galaxy.
Supernovae
NGC 2146 has been host to three known supernova events: SN 2005V (TypeIb/c, mag. 16) was discovered by LIRIS on 30 January 2005. SN 2018zd (TypeII, mag. 17.8) is possibly a Type IIn and might be the first electron-capture supernova, and was discovered on 2 March 2018 by Kōichi Itagaki. SN 2024abfl (TypeII, mag. 17.5) was discovered on 15 November 2024 by Kōichi Itagaki.
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