NGC 3949

{{short description|Spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major}}

{{Infobox Galaxy

| name = NGC 3949

| image = NGC 3949.jpg

| caption = NGC 3949 imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope

| epoch = J2000

| ra = {{RA|11|53|41.7948}}{{cite web

| title=NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database

| work=Results for object NGC 3949

| url=https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/byname?objname=NGC+3949

| access-date=2006-11-16}}

| dec = {{DEC|+47|51|31.387}}

| constellation name = Ursa Major

| z = 800 ± 1 km/s

| dist_ly = {{convert|14.89 ± 1.06|Mpc|Mly|abbr=on|lk=on|order=flip}}

| type = SA(s)bc

| appmag_v = 11.5

| size_v = 2.9{{prime}} × 1.7{{prime}}

| size = ~{{convert|14.66|kpc|ly|abbr=on|lk=on|order=flip}} (estimated)

| notes =

| names = {{odlist | UGC= 6869 | PGC= 37290 | CGCG= 243-025 | MCG= +08-22-029 | IRAS= 11510+4808 | name = HOLM 301A}}

}}

NGC 3949 is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 50 million light-years away from the Earth. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 5 February 1788.{{cite web | url = https://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc39.htm#3949 | title = NGC 3949 | last = Seligman | first = Courtney | website = Celestial Atlas | access-date = 9 August 2024 }}

NGC 3949 is a member of the M109 Group, a group of galaxies located in the constellation Ursa Major that may contain over 50 galaxies. The brightest galaxy in the group is the spiral galaxy M109.{{cite book

| author=R. B. Tully

| date=1988

| title=Nearby Galaxies Catalog

| publisher=Cambridge University Press

| location=Cambridge

| isbn=978-0-521-35299-4}}{{cite journal

| author=A. Garcia

| title=General study of group membership. II - Determination of nearby groups

| journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement

| date=1993

| volume=100

| pages=47–90

| bibcode=1993A&AS..100...47G}}{{cite journal

| author=G. Giuricin | author2=C. Marinoni | author3= L. Ceriani | author4= A. Pisani

| title=Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups

| journal=Astrophysical Journal

| date=2000

| volume=543

| issue=1

| pages=178–194

| bibcode=2000ApJ...543..178G

| doi=10.1086/317070|arxiv = astro-ph/0001140 | s2cid=9618325 }}

One supernova has been observed in NGC 3949: SN 2000db (type II, mag. 14.3) was discovered by Masakatsu Aoki on 6 August 2000.{{cite journal | bibcode=2000IAUC.7475....1N| title=Supernova 2000db in NGC 3949| last1=Nakano| first1=S.| last2=Aoki| first2=M.| journal=International Astronomical Union Circular| date=2000| issue=7475| page=1}}{{cite web | title=Transient Name Server | work=Entry for SN 2000db | url=https://www.wis-tns.org/object/2000db | access-date=9 August 2024}}