Images obtained with the CFHTIR camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope are used to investigate the near-infrared photometric properties of the star-forming M81 group galaxy NGC 3077 .
The spectral-energy distribution ( SED ) of the near-infrared light within 10 arcsec of the nucleus ( 1 ) is very different from that of ‘ typical ’ dwarf ellipticals ( dEs ) , blue compact dwarf galaxies , and HII/starburst galaxies , and ( 2 ) is consistent with the 2 \mu m light being dominated by hot young ( log ( t _ { yr } ) < 6.8 ) stars reddened by A _ { V } = 3 - 4 , with A _ { V } \geq 8 mag in some regions , including previously detected areas of CO emission .
A population like that near the center of NGC 205 likely contributes only a modest fraction of the light near 2 \mu m .

A number of candidate star clusters are detected in and around NGC 3077 .
These objects have near-infrared brightnesses and colors that are consistent with them being classical globular clusters and young star clusters .
The specific frequency of globular clusters in NGC 3077 is estimated to be S _ { N } = 2.5 , which falls within the range of S _ { N } measured in nearby dEs .
The candidate young clusters have photometric masses that are similar to those of compact young clusters in other active star-forming systems , and SEDs consistent with ages log ( t _ { yr } ) \leq 6.6 .
Based on the masses and ages of the young clusters , it is estimated that the star formation rate in NGC 3077 was at least 0.25 - 0.50 M _ { \odot } year ^ { -1 } during the past few million years .