NGC 1961 is disturbed galaxy, about 171
million light-year from Earth, toward the constellation
Camelopardalis. Its unusual asymmetric appearance has also
earned it a spot in Arp's Catalog of Peculiar Galaxies as number
184. Given the galaxy's apparent size and brightness, it is one
of the largest in our local area of the universe. The cause of
NGC 1961's peculiar appearance remains unsolved as there are no
nearby galaxies large enough for gravitational interaction to
create the distortion. It is possible that the odd shape is the
result of a past merger with another galaxy.
