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
- N. R. Pogson
- Discovery date
- 6 February 1885
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ v ɪər ə /
- Alternative designations
- A885 CA, 1919 HB
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 131.06 yr (47,869 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.70600 AU (554.410 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.50409 AU (374.607 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.10504 AU (464.507 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.47 yr (1,998.5 d)
- Average orbital speed
- 16.93 km/s
- Mean anomaly
- 120.926 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 48.493 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q149100
- Follows
- 244 Sita
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +75.949
- Orbital period
- +1988.870239087751
Show 4 more facts
- P61
- N. R. Pogson
- P720
Article
245 Vera is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by N. R. Pogson on February 6, 1885, in Madras, and was named at the suggestion of his wife. The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.11 AU with a period of 5.47 years and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.19. The orbital plane is tilted at an angle of 5.16° to the plane of the ecliptic. In 1890, Daniel Kirkwood noted that this asteroid shares similar orbital elements with 86 Semele and 106 Dione.
Photometric measurements of this asteroid made during 1980–1981 were used to produce a light curve that demonstrated a rotation period of 14.38±0.03 h with a brightness variation of 0.26±0.01 in magnitude. It is classified as a stony S-type asteroid in the Tholen system. The asteroid has an estimated diameter of 75.95±2.63 km based on near infrared observations.