NGC 3985
{{Short description|Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major}}
{{Infobox galaxy
| name = NGC 3985
| image = NGC3985 - SDSS DR14.jpg
| caption = The barred spiral galaxy NGC 3985
| constellation name = Ursa Major
| sbrightness = 21.62 mag/arcsec2{{cn|date=April 2024}}
| epoch = J2000
| alt = 86.9
| dist_ly = 46.1 ± 13.5 Mly (14.1 ± 4.1 Mpc)
|z=0.003163
| appmag_v = 12.6
| size_v = 1.3{{prime}} × 0.8{{prime}}
| names = PGC 37542, UGC 6921, MCG +08-22-045, CGCG 243-031, IRAS 11541+4836, ARK 334, KCPG 310
NGC 3985 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 45 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3726 is about 18,000 light years across.{{cite web|title=NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database|work=Results for NGC 3985|url=https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/byname?objname=NGC+3985&hconst=67.8&omegam=0.308&omegav=0.692&wmap=4&corr_z=1|access-date=2024-04-02}} NGC 3985 is situated north of the celestial equator and, as such, it is more easily visible from the Northern Hemisphere.{{Cite web |title=A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky {{!}} TheSkyLive |url=https://theskylive.com/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=theskylive.com |language=en}} The galaxy appears to have one spiral arm.Sandage, A., Bedke, J. (1994) The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies. Volume I, Carnegie Institution of Washington
NGC 3985 belongs in the NGC 3877 group,{{cite journal|last1=Makarov|first1=Dmitry|last2=Karachentsev|first2=Igor|title=Galaxy groups and clouds in the local (z~ 0.01) Universe|journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|date=21 April 2011|volume=412|issue=4|pages=2498–2520|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.18071.x|doi-access=free |bibcode=2011MNRAS.412.2498M|arxiv=1011.6277|s2cid=119194025}} which is part of the south Ursa Major groups, part of the Virgo Supercluster.{{cite web|title=The Ursa Major Groups|url=http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/uma.html|website=www.atlasoftheuniverse.com}} Other galaxies in the same group are NGC 3726, NGC 3893, NGC 3896, NGC 3906, NGC 3928, NGC 3949, and NGC 4010.