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
- Johann Palisa
- Discovery date
- 9 March 1882
- Alternative designations
- A882 EA, 1887 BA, 1942 EL
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Themis )
- Observation arc
- 130.29 yr (47590 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.45415 AU (516.733 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.73689 AU (409.433 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.09552 AU (463.083 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.45 yr (1989.3 d )
- Average orbital speed
- 16.94 km/s
- Mean anomaly
- 309.511 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 51.488 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 224 Oceana
- Follows
- 222 Lucia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +79.806
- Orbital period
- +1986.207891072781
Show 4 more facts
- P720
Article
223 Rosa is a large Themistian asteroid. It is classified as a combination of C-type and P-type asteroids, so it is probably composed of carbonaceous material rich in water ice. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 9 March 1882, in Vienna. The origin of the name is not known.
Photometric observations made in 2011–2012 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico, produced a light curve with a period of 20.283 ± 0.002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.13 ± 0.02 in magnitude. The curve has two asymmetrical maxima and minima per 20.283-hour cycle.