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. R. Klemola
- Discovery site
- Lick Obs.
- Discovery date
- 7 September 1972
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ p eɪ l eɪ / , Hawaiian: [ ˈpɛlɛ ]
- Named after
- Pele ( Hawaiian religion )
- Alternative designations
- 1972 RA
- Minor planet category
- NEO · Amor
- Observation arc
- 42.59 yr (15,555 days)
- Aphelion
- 3.4646 AU
- Perihelion
- 1.1146 AU
- Semi major axis
- 2.2896 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.46 yr (1,265 days)
- Mean anomaly
- 336.56 °
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- near-Earth object
- Named after
- Pele
- Followed by
- Q124416
- Follows
- 2201 Oljato
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Orbital period
- +1266.223266996871
Show 3 more facts
Article
2202 Pele, provisional designation 1972 RA, is an eccentric asteroid and near-Earth object of the Amor group, approximately 1–2 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered by American astronomer Arnold Klemola at the U.S. Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California, on 7 September 1972. The asteroid was named after Pele from native Hawaiian religion.