NGC 2146 is a barred spiral galaxy type SB(s)ab pec in the constellation Camelopardalis. The galaxy was discovered in 1876 by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke. It has a diameter of 80,000 lyr. The galaxy's most conspicuous feature is the dusty lanes of a spiral arm lying across the core of the galaxy as seen from Earth, the arm having been bent 45 degrees by a close encounter with a smaller galaxy possibly NGC 2146a about 0.8 billion years ago. This close encounter is credited with the relatively high rates of star formation that qualify NGC 2146 as a starburst galaxy. It was host tosupernova SN 2005V, a type Ib/c supernova discovered by LIRIS on January 30.
Located in Camelopardis, this galaxy has been violently perturbed by an interaction with a nearby galaxy, this is an example of a "peculiar galaxy" and is a strong source of radio emission. It is believed to be in the final stages of a collision and merger and may be interacting with NGC2146A, which lies 18 arc-minutes away. (Distance: 47 million ly)