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
- P. P. Henry
- Discovery date
- 2 November 1875
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ t ɑː l ə / , French: [ atala ]
- Named after
- Atala
- Alternative designations
- A875 VB
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 130.69 yr (47735 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.3855 AU (506.46 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.8984 AU (433.59 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.1420 AU (470.04 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.57 yr (2034.2 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 52.593 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 37.092 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 153 Hilda
- Follows
- Q140273
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +58.964
- Orbital period
- +2028.637879034455
- Image
- 152Atala (Lightcurve Inversion).png
Show 4 more facts
Article
152 Atala is a large main belt asteroid that was discovered by brothers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry on 2 November 1875, but the discovery was credited to Paul. It is a type D asteroid, meaning that it is composed of carbon, organic rich silicates and possibly water ice.
The asteroid is named for the eponymous heroine of the 1801 novella Atala by François-René de Chateaubriand. The Henry brothers also named the last of their discoveries, 186 Celuta, after another Chateaubriand heroine. Both Atala and Céluta are American Indian fictional characters.