Near infrared imaging spectroscopy of NGC 1275

We present H and K band imaging spectroscopy of the core regions of the cD/ AGN galaxy NGC 1275. The spec tra, including lines from H-2, H, (CO)-C-12 b andheads, [Fe II], and [Fe III], are exploited to constrain the star format ion and excitation mechanisms in the galaxy's nucleus. The near-infrared pr operties can largely be accounted for by ionized gas in the NLR, dense mole cular gas, and hot dust concentrated near the active nucleus of NGC 1275. T he strong and compact H-2 emission is mostly from circumnuclear gas excited by the AGN and not from the cooling flow. The extended emission of late-ty pe stars is diluted in the center by the thermal emission of hot dust. The line ratios [Fe II]/Br gamma, as well as [Fe II]/H-2 can be explained with X-ray excitation from the central AGN.