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 October 1886
- Pronunciation
- / h juː ˈ b ɜːr t ə /
- Named after
- Hubertus
- Alternative designations
- A886 TA, 1906 VH, 1911 ME
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Cybele )
- Observation arc
- 109.37 yr (39947 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.84026 AU (574.495 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 3.04743 AU (455.889 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.44384 AU (515.191 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 6.39 yr (2334.3 d )
- Average orbital speed
- 16.05 km/s
- Mean anomaly
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Hubertus
- Followed by
- Q149702
- Follows
- 259 Aletheia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Diameter
- +101.539
- Orbital period
- +2343.64694097809
- Image
- 260Huberta (Lightcurve Inversion).png
Show 4 more facts
Article
260 Huberta is a large asteroid orbiting near the outer edge of the Main belt. It is dark and rich in carbon. It belongs to the Cybele group of asteroids.
It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 3 October 1886 in Vienna and was named after Saint Hubertus.