Arp 214, at right, is an unusual warped spiral galaxy in Ursa Major.

Cataloged in Harlton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, Arp 214 is also classified as a galaxy with an active nucleus, probably powered by a giant black hole.

The galaxy shines with an apparent magnitude of 11.6 and has an apparent size of 8 x 4 arcminutes. It lies 52 million light-years away.

It is though to be interacting with barred spiral galaxy NGC 3729 (left), which is located 150,000 light-years from Arp 214 in space, and some 11.5 arcminutes away from our perspective.

The interaction may be causing the warping of Arp 214, but it is also possible that the disturbed nature of the galaxy is caused by an act of galactic cannibalism where Arp 214 consumed another galaxy. This may also account for the prominent dust lane in Arp 214, which is second only to the dust lane found in NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) which harbors a gigantic black hole itself.

Arp 214 was discovered by William Herschel in 1789.

Hickson 56 (Arp 322), a group of 5 small galaxies, is also visible in the image to the south (below) NGC 3718, and lies more than 400 million light-years away.

Members of Hickson 56 are: (from left)

• PGC 35631
• PGC 35620
• PGC 35618
• PGC 35615
• PGC 35609

PGC 35618 and PGC 35615 are a pair of interacting galaxies in the group.

North is to the top in the above image.

Arp 214 Catalogs: ARP 214: NGC 3718, UGC 6524 Object Type: SB(s)a pec Galaxy Magnitude: 10.6v Size: 8.1' x 4.0' Constellation: Ursa Major Image Field Centered At: RA: 11h 33m 01s Dec: +53° 03' 33"