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
- J. Palisa
- Discovery site
- Vienna Obs.
- Discovery date
- 17 April 1888
- Pronunciation
- German: [ ˈaːdəlhaɪt ]
- Named after
- unknown ( Adelheid )
- Alternative designations
- A888 HA
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( outer ) , Alauda
- Observation arc
- 118.38 yr (43,239 days)
- Aphelion
- 3.3296 AU
- Perihelion
- 2.9065 AU
- Semi major axis
- 3.1181 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.51 yr (2,011 days)
- Mean anomaly
- 276.54 °
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 277 Elvira
- Follows
- Q150022
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +114.723
- Orbital period
- +2010.158475741098
- Image
- 276Adelheid (Lightcurve Inversion).png
Show 4 more facts
Article
276 Adelheid is a dark Alauda asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 121 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at Vienna Observatory on 17 April 1888. The meaning of the asteroids's name is unknown.
Classification