AI overview
"12 Victoria" is a large asteroid that orbits in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was one of the earliest asteroids discovered and remains notable as one of the larger objects in that region of space.
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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
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Victoria
- Followed by
- 13 Egeria
- Follows
- 11 Parthenope
Article
12 Victoria is a large asteroid located in the main belt. It was the twelfth known asteroid, discovered on 13 September 1850 by English astronomer John R. Hind from George Bishop's Observatory in London, England. It was named after Victoria, the ancient Roman goddess of victory. The name's coincidence with that of then-reigning Queen Victoria led to an extended controversy, with American astronomers objecting to its use. In place of Victoria, the alternative name Clio was used in American publications until the late 19th century.
Victoria is around 116 kilometres (72 mi) in diameter and irregular in shape. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2.33 astronomical units on a 3.57 year long orbit. It is thought to be a stony S-type asteroid, and it rotates once every 8.66 hours.