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
- trans-Neptunian object
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- trans-Neptunian object
- Diameter
- +340
- Radius
Connections
Categories
Astronomical objects discovered in 2001Binary trans-Neptunian objectsClassical Kuiper belt objectsContact binary (small Solar System body)Discoveries by the Deep Ecliptic SurveyJPL Small-Body Database ID different from WikidataMinor planet object articles (numbered)Named minor planetsNamed TNOsTriple trans-Neptunian objects