29 Amphitrite

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

A. Marth

Discovery site

London

Discovery date

1 March 1854

Pronunciation

/ æ m f ɪ ˈ t r aɪ t iː /

Named after

Amphitrite , (Greek mythology)

Alternative designations

A899 NG

Minor planet category

main-belt · ( middle ) , background

Adjectives

Amphitritean / ˌ æ m f ɪ t r ɪ ˈ t iː ə n / , / ˌ æ m f ɪ ˈ t r aɪ t i ə n /

Symbol

(historical)

Observation arc

169.16 yr (61,784 d)

Aphelion

2.7425 AU

Perihelion

2.3664 AU

Semi major axis

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Amphitrite

Followed by

30 Urania

Follows

28 Bellona

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+189.559

Orbital period

+1490.941681968144

Image

29Amphitrite (Lightcurve Inversion).png