NGC 3672 is a spiral galaxy (SA(s)c)) located about 76 million light-years away in the constellation Crater.
With an apparent size of 4.0′ × 1.8′, it spans roughly 95,000 light-years across. This galaxy lacks a central bar, with its loosely wound spiral arms extending directly from the core. The arms are rich in H II regions, visible as reddish patches, indicating ongoing star formation.
Prominent dust lanes weave through the central region and along the spiral arms, adding contrast to the bright starlight. These dusty structures highlight areas where new stars are forming and contribute to the intricate, textured appearance of the galaxy.
Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 3672—SN 2007bm, a Type Ia supernova detected in March 2007, and SN 2008gz, a Type II supernova discovered in September 2008. The galaxy is the brightest member of a small group, interacting with NGC 3636 (elliptical) and NGC 3637 (lenticular), forming a gravitationally linked system.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby