NGC 2537


NGC 2537, also known as the Bear Paw Galaxy, Bear Claw Galaxy, Arp 6, or Mrk 86, is a blue compact dwarf galaxy in the constellation Lynx, located around 3 degrees NNW of 31 Lyncis. It was discovered on 6 February 1788 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.
NGC 2537 belongs to the iE class of Blue Compact Dwarf classification, which is described as galactic spectra with an underlying smooth elliptical Low Surface Brightness component with a superimposed "knotted" star formation component.
NGC 2537 was long thought to be possibly interacting with IC 2233. However, even though they may lie at the same distance, neither display the hallmarks of a mutual interaction.
Although no supernovae have been observed in NGC 2537 yet, a luminous blue variable, designated AT2017be, was discovered on 6 January 2017.