1996A&A...311..721S

Broadband photometry and optical spectroscopy of the dwarf starburst galaxy Haro 3 (NGC 3353, Mkn 35) is presented. Despite its isolated location and relaxed outer morphology, Haro 3 is a dwarf galaxy dominated by multiple violent star forming regions. Emission line fluxes from the ionised gas of these starburst events show that the galaxy is underabundant in heavy elements by a factor of three compared with the Solar value. Age estimates for the starbursts calculated from emission line strengths suggest that the current episode of major star formation is under 5 million years old. Evidence for an underlying older stellar substrate is obtained from the detection of magnesium and iron absorption lines. The detection of emission features attributable to Wolf-Rayet stars in one of the HII regions also allows Haro 3 to be classified as a Wolf-Rayet galaxy. We discuss the possibilities that the current high rate of star formation was initiated by an interaction, gas cloud infall from the halo, or by stochastic self-propagating star formation.