Themorphological classification of NGC 2397 is SB(s)b,[5] which indicates this is abarred spiral (SB) with no ring structure around the nucleus (s) and moderately tightly–woundspiral arms (b). The nucleus is partly obscured[4] and consists of older yellow and red stars; more recent stars have formed within the outer blue spiral arms, which also feature protrusions of dust.[10]
In March 2006, a star in the galaxy,SN 2006bc, was spotted in the late stages ofsupernova.[11] Astronomers atQueen's University Belfast, who have been studying supernovas to find out what sort of stars explode, worked through previously captured images of the galaxy and found one of when the star exploded, one of only six ever collected.[12] Early spectra indicated this was atype II supernova, possibly of sub-type II-L or II-P.[13]
^Skrutskie, Michael F.; Cutri, Roc M.; Stiening, Rae; Weinberg, Martin D.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Carpenter, John M.; Beichman, Charles A.; Capps, Richard W.; Chester, Thomas; Elias, Jonathan H.; Huchra, John P.; Liebert, James W.; Lonsdale, Carol J.; Monet, David G.; Price, Stephan; Seitzer, Patrick; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Fullmer, Linda; Hurt, Robert L.; Light, Robert M.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Tam, Robert; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Wheelock, Sherry L. (1 February 2006)."The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)".The Astronomical Journal.131 (2):1163–1183.Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S.doi:10.1086/498708.ISSN0004-6256.S2CID18913331.
^Carollo, C. M.; et al. (December 1997). "Spiral Galaxies with WFPC2. I. Nuclear Morphology, Bulges, Star Clusters, and Surface Brightness Profiles".Astronomical Journal.114: 2366.Bibcode:1997AJ....114.2366C.doi:10.1086/118654.
^Sinnott, Roger W.; Perryman, Michael A. C. (1997).Millennium Star Atlas. Vol. 1. Sky Publishing Corporation and the European Space Agency. p. 482.ISBN0-933346-84-0.
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