Picture of the Day · NASA
NGC 3660 and Burçin's Galaxy
2026-05-26
The upper galaxy might be more photogenic, but the lower galaxy is more unusual. The galaxy up top is NGC 3660, a spiral galaxy similar to our own Milky Way galaxy in that it has several bright blue spiral arms and a central bar of stars, dust, and gas. Captured by chance in the featured deep and colorful image, surprisingly, is SN 2026cff, a supernova found just to the right of the central bar. Farther in the distance is the bottom galaxy, known informally as Burçin’s galaxy, but formally cataloged as LEDA 1000714. The center of this galaxy appears to be an old elliptical galaxy, but it is strangely surrounded by not one but two rings of stars. What created Burçin's galaxy is a mystery and remains a continuing topic of research, but it likely involves the accretion of one or more smaller galaxies.
via NASA APOD
Key facts
- Discovered by
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 13 August 1923
- Named after
- Ingrid, niece of astronomer Albrecht Kahrstedt
- Alternative designations
- 1923 NY · 1957 UC, 1963 GD · 1981 WL 8 , 1986 CG 2 · 1986 ES 2
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( inner ) , Flora
- Observation arc
- 93.89 yr (34,294 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.6636 AU
- Perihelion
- 1.8458 AU
- Semi major axis
- 2.2547 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.39 yr (1,237 days)
- Mean anomaly
- 292.55 °
- Mean motion
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q119261
- Follows
- 1025 Riema
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +7.353
- Orbital period
- +1236.387938743065
Show 3 more facts
Article
1026 Ingrid, provisional designation 1923 NY, is a stony Florian asteroid and long-lost minor planet (1923–1986) from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg in 1923, and later named after Ingrid, niece and godchild of astronomer Albrecht Kahrstedt.
Discovery and recovery