296 Phaëtusa

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

19 August 1890

Pronunciation

/ f eɪ . ə ˈ tj uː s ə /

Named after

Phaethusa

Alternative designations

A890 QB, 1917 XB, 1930 YH

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

85.28 yr (31149 d)

Aphelion

2.58669 AU (386.963 Gm )

Perihelion

1.87025 AU (279.785 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.22847 AU (333.374 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

3.33 yr (1215.1 d )

Average orbital speed

19.95 km/s

Mean anomaly

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Phaethusa

Followed by

297 Caecilia

Follows

Q150423

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+8.196

Orbital period

+1215.081823221668

Image

000296-asteroid shape model (296) Phaëtusa.png