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
- Auguste Charlois
- Discovery date
- 8 February 1889
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ ɛ m ə /
- Alternative designations
- A889 CA, 1980 FJ 12
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Emma )
- Observation arc
- 122.26 yr (44655 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.49701 AU (523.145 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.59675 AU (388.468 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.04688 AU (455.807 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.32 yr (1942.6 d )
- Average orbital speed
- 17.07 km/s
- Mean anomaly
- 127.107 °
- Mean motion
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q150202
- Follows
- Q150164
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +132.385
- Mass
- +1.38
- Orbital period
- +1943.74029126503
- Image
- Орбита астероида 283.png
Show 5 more facts
Article
283 Emma is a large asteroid of the asteroid belt and the namesake of the Emma family. It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on 8 February 1889, in Nice, France. The reason for its name is unknown.
Measurements made with the IRAS observatory give a diameter of 145.70±5.89 km and a geometric albedo of 0.03±0.01. By comparison, the MIPS photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope gives a diameter of 145.44±7.72 km and a geometric albedo of 0.03±0.01. When the asteroid was observed occulting a star, the results showed a diameter of 148.00±16.26 km.