The results of a spectrophotometric study of the nucleus of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068, whose emission spectrum has broad emission lines, are presented. The spectrograms were obtained using a spectrograph with a dispersion of 120 A/mm in the Cassegrainian focus of a 50" reflector. The intensities of the lines [OIII] and [SII] were used in estimating the electron density (10 s cm "s) and electron temperature (17 000"). The effective volume of the luminescent gas is 2. 10 s9 cm 3 (r s ~, 20 parsecs) and the mass is 2 9 105 @. At a velocity of 1200 km/sec the gas possesses a kinetic energy of 8. 10 a4 ergs, and its escape is apparently caused by some process of an explosive character which took place about 10 a years ago. The luminescence time (8 9 10 z years) is less than the "age" of the escaping gas, and therefore the luminescence of the latter (1.4 9 1042 ergs/sec) has a quasi-stationary character. The following excitation mechanisms are considered: gas ionization by hot stars, by synchrotron L c quanta, by cosmic rays, by the "stellar wind," and finally, by shock waves. Energy considerations lead to the conclusion that the latter apparently is the most probable; however, even in this case certain difficulties are involved. In conclusion, the authors give estimates of the initial ejected mass (0.4 9 10 s -< M0 < 2.10 a @) and the initial energy of the explosion (~ 10 s~ ergs).NGC 1068 is a representative of a rare and uncommon class of galaxies discovered and described by S. K. Seyfert [1]. According to Seyfert, most of these galaxies are spirals with clearly expressed starlike nuclei which emit a gas spectrum with broad emission lines. Two of the Seyfert galaxies are radio galaxies: NGG 1275 has been identified with the known source Perseus A, while NGG 1068, discussed here, has been recorded in the Cambridge Catalogue as object 8C 71.

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