256 Walpurga

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

3 April 1886

Pronunciation

/ v æ l ˈ p ɜːr ɡ ə /

Named after

Saint Walpurga

Alternative designations

A886 GA, 1951 VJ

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

130.04 yr (47496 d)

Aphelion

3.19960 AU (478.653 Gm )

Perihelion

2.79984 AU (418.850 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.99972 AU (448.752 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

5.20 yr (1897.7 d )

Mean anomaly

352.098 °

Mean motion

0° 11 22.945 / day

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Saint Walpurga

Followed by

257 Silesia

Follows

Q110370

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+66.634

Orbital period

+1900.56839824163