NGC 2404

The spiral galaxy C7 or NGC 2403 lies some ten million light years from the Milky Way in the constellation of Camelopardalis. It is notable as being unusually rich in starburst regions in which new stars are rapidly being formed, of which numerous examples are scattered throughout the galaxy's spiral form. NGC 2404 is the most prominent of these, lying near the end of the galaxy's northern spiral arm as it curves around the galaxy to the east.

The star-forming region NGC 2404 is thought to have emerged relatively recently, and is probably no more than a few million years old. It extends over an irregular area estimated to be nearly a thousand light years in diameter, making it one of the largest known such structures. Embedded within it are newly-formed compact clusters of stars, and also dozens of more massive, hot Wolf-Rayet stars in a more advanced state of evolution.