NGC 3184 as observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, as part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey. The blue colors represent the 3.6 micrometre emission from stars. The green and red colors represent the 5.8 and 8.0 micrometre emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and possibly dustright
NGC 3184 houses a high abundance of heavy elements. The blue color of its spiral arms comes mostly from relatively few bright young blue stars. The bright stars that highlight the arms were created in huge density waves that circle the center.
Structure
NGC 3184 has two prominent spiral arms. They have constant pitch angles, which makes them both symmetrical.[6]
SN 2010dn (type ILRT, mag. 17)[13] was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 31 May 2010.
SN 2016bkv (type II, mag. 17.2),[14] was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 21 March 2016.
AT 2019sfe (type unknown, mag. 20.6)[15][16] was discovered on 8 October 2019.
SN 2010dn
On May 31, 2010, Kōichi Itagaki detected a magnitude 17 optical transient 33" east and 61" north of the center of NGC 3184 at coordinates 10 18 19.89 +41 26 28.8.[17] Designated SN 2010dn, this event was initially thought to be an outbursting luminous blue variable (LBV) star,[18] but later analysis categorized it as an intermediate-luminosity red transient (ILRT), also known as a luminous red nova.[19][20] Archival Hubble and Spitzer images of NGC 3184 seem to show no progenitor for optical transient SN 2010dn.[21] SN 2010dn is just like SN 2008S and NGC 300-OT.[18] On day 2, SN 2010dn had an unfiltered magnitude of 17.1, corresponding to a peak absolute magnitude of roughly -13.3.[18]
