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
- A. Borrelly
- Discovery date
- 13 January 1877
- Pronunciation
- / oʊ ˈ f iː l i ə / oh- FEE -lee-ə
- Alternative designations
- A877 AB
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Themis )
- Adjectives
Article
171 Ophelia is a large, dark Themistian asteroid that was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on 13 January 1877. It was named after Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. This object is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 3.13 AU with an eccentricity of 0.13 and an orbital period of 5.54 years. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 2.55° to the plane of the ecliptic.
This asteroid is a member of the Themis family of asteroids that share similar orbital elements. It probably has a primitive composition, similar to that of the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. The body spans a diameter of 131 km. An analysis of 40 light curves in 2015 suggested it has a convex, elongated shape with one end smaller than the other.