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
- Robert Luther
- Discovery date
- 12 September 1884
- Pronunciation
- / dʒ ər ˈ m eɪ n i ə /
- Named after
- Germany
- Alternative designations
- A884 RA, 1953 US, 1953 VK 1
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Adjectives
- Germanian
- Observation arc
- 131.40 yr (47993 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.35991 AU (502.635 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.73723 AU (409.484 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.04857 AU (456.060 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.32 yr (1944.2 d )
- Average orbital speed
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Germany
- Followed by
- 242 Kriemhild
- Follows
- Q148915
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +168.9
- Orbital period
- +1941.457296600549
Show 4 more facts
- P65
Article
241 Germania is a very large main-belt asteroid. It is classified as a B-type asteroid and is probably composed of dark, primitive carbonaceous material.
It was discovered by Robert Luther on 12 September 1884 in Düsseldorf.