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
- J. Perrotin
- Discovery site
- Toulouse
- Discovery date
- 26 April 1876
- Pronunciation
- / ɪ ˈ r ɪ ɡ ə n iː /
- Named after
- Erigone
- Alternative designations
- A876 HC; 1892 RA;, 1957 OT; 2017 YH 23
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Erigone )
- Adjectives
- Erigonian / ɛ r ɪ ˈ ɡ oʊ n i ə n / Erigonean / ɛ r ɪ ɡ ə ˈ n iː ə n /
- Observation arc
- 123.56 yr (45131 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.8188 AU (421.69 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.9161 AU (286.64 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.3675 AU (354.17 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Erigone
- Followed by
- 164 Eva
- Follows
- 162 Laurentia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +81.579
- Orbital period
- +1329.826898523247
Show 5 more facts
Article
163 Erigone is an asteroid from the asteroid belt and the namesake of the Erigone family of asteroids that share similar orbital elements and properties. It was discovered by French astronomer Henri Joseph Perrotin on April 26, 1876, and named after one of the two Erigones in Greek mythology. This asteroid is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.37 AU with a period of 3.643 years and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.19. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 4.8° to the plane of the ecliptic.
Photometric measurements taken in 2014 were used to construct a lightcurve that demonstrated a rotation period of 16.136±0.001 h with an amplitude of 0.32±0.02 in magnitude. Erigone is a relatively large and dark asteroid with an estimated size of 73 km. Based upon its spectrum, it is classified as a C-type asteroid, which indicates that it probably has a carbonaceous composition. It is the largest member of the eponymously named Erigone collisional family.