A type of galaxy with unusually strong emission at near-ultraviolet wavelengths; most also show strong emission lines in the optical region. Galaxies in which the source of the ultraviolet radiation lies in the nucleus, which is often the case, can be subdivided into Seyfert galaxies, N galaxies, and quasars. Alternatively, the ultraviolet radiation may originate from a more extended region, as in dwarf galaxies undergoing intense bursts of star formation. The galaxies are named after the Armenian astronomer Benjamin Eghishe Markarian (1913–85), who first detected them in the 1960s.