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
- Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters
- Discovery date
- 3 June 1875
- Pronunciation
- / æ d iː ˈ oʊ n ə /
- Named after
- Adeōna
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · Adeona
- Adjectives
- Adeonian
- Observation arc
- 130.60 yr (47700 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.05972 AU (457.728 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.28737 AU (342.186 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.67354 AU (399.956 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.37 yr (1596.7 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 233.709 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 13 31.663 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Adeona
- Followed by
- Q139442
- Follows
- 144 Vibilia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +127.783
- Mass
- +3.61018
- Orbital period
- +1594.224065200387
- Image
- 145 Adeona VLT (2021), deconvolved.pdf
Show 5 more facts
Article
145 Adeona is a large asteroid from the intermediate asteroid belt, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) in diameter. Its surface is very dark, and, based upon its classification as a C-type asteroid, is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material. The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration. The Adeona family of asteroids is named after it.
It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on June 3, 1875, from the observatory at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. Peters named it after Adeona, the Roman goddess of homecoming, because he had recently returned from a journey across the world to observe the transit of Venus. Peters also discovered 144 Vibilia on the same night.