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
- C. H. F. Peters , 1878
- Discovery date
- 18 June 1878
- Pronunciation
- / m ɛ ˈ n ɪ p iː /
- Alternative designations
- A878 MA; 1897 QA;, 1948 WQ
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 100.84 yr (36833 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.2542 AU (486.82 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.2691 AU (339.45 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7617 AU (413.14 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.59 yr (1676.3 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 346.69 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 12 53.1 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 189 Phthia
- Follows
- 187 Lamberta
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +35.752
- Orbital period
- +1676.822097703473
- Image
- 188Menippe (Lightcurve Inversion).png
Show 4 more facts
Article
188 Menippe is a main belt asteroid. The object has a bright surface and rocky composition. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on June 18, 1878, in Clinton, New York. The asteroid was named named after Menippe, one of the daughters of Orion in Greek mythology.
This asteroid is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.76 AU with a moderate eccentricity of 0.178 and an orbital period of 4.59 years. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 11.7° to the plane of the ecliptic. Based on infrared measurements, it has a diameter of approximately 35.75 km. The spectrum matches a stony S-type asteroid.