The ionization mechanism of NGC 185: how to fake a Seyfert galaxy?

NGC 185 is a dwarf spheroidal satellite of the Andromeda galaxy. From mid-1990s onwards it was revealed that dwarf spheroidals often display a varied and in some cases complex star formation history. In an optical survey of bright nearby galaxies, NGC 185 was classified as a Seyfert galaxy based on its emission line ratios. However, although the emission lines in this object formally place it in t...