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 site
- Marseille Obs.
- Discovery date
- 11 May 1883
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ s t ɛr ə p iː /
- Named after
- Sterope
- Alternative designations
- A883 JA
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 118.65 yr (43337 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.9271 AU (437.89 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.3927 AU (357.94 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.6599 AU (397.92 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.34 yr (1584.5 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 138.789 °
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Sterope
- Followed by
- 234 Barbara
- Follows
- Q148685
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +99.672
- Orbital period
- +1583.522972897137
Show 5 more facts
- P65
Article
233 Asterope is a large main-belt asteroid that was discovered on 11 May 1883, by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly at Marseille Observatory in Marseille, France. The asteroid was named after Asterope (or Sterope), one of the Pleiades.
This asteroid is orbiting the Sun with a semimajor axis of 2.66 AU, a period of 4.34 years, and an eccentricity of 0.10. The orbital plane is inclined by 7.68° to the plane of the ecliptic. It is a rare T-type asteroid and has a relatively dark surface. The spectrum of 233 Asterope bears a resemblance to Troilite, a sulfurous iron mineral found in most iron meteorites.