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
- James Craig Watson
- Discovery date
- 16 September 1868
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ ɑːr t ə m ə s /
- Named after
- Artemis
- Alternative designations
- A868 SA
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Adjectives
- Artemidean / Artemidian / ɑːr t ə ˈ m ɪ d i ə n / Artemisian / ɑːr t ə ˈ m ɪ z i ə n /
- Observation arc
- 100.79 yr (36812 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.7952 AU (418.16 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.95119 AU (291.894 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.37319 AU (355.024 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.66 yr (1335.4 d )
- Average orbital speed
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Artemis
- Followed by
- 106 Dione
- Follows
- 104 Klymene
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +94.864
- Orbital period
- +1334.77208993404
Show 5 more facts
- P65
Article
105 Artemis is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by J. C. Watson on September 16, 1868, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was named after Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, Moon, and crossways in Greek mythology.
It is a C-type asteroid, meaning that it is very dark and composed of carbonaceous material. Although it shares a similar orbit to the Phocaea family of S-type asteroids, its classification means 105 Artemis is not a member. The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration.