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
- Max Wolf
- Discovery date
- 1 March 1894
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ s iː ɡ ə n ə / SEE -gə-nə
- Named after
- Siegen
- Alternative designations
- 1894 AY
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Adjectives
- Siegenian / s iː ˈ ɡ ɛ n i ə n / see- GHEN -ee-ən
- Observation arc
- 122.08 yr (44590 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.38983 AU (507.111 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.40159 AU (359.273 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.89571 AU (433.192 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.93 yr (1799.8 d )
- Mean anomaly
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Siegen
- Followed by
- 387 Aquitania
- Follows
- Q152257
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +165.01
- Orbital period
- +1801.375646313787
- Image
- 386Siegena (Lightcurve Inversion).png
Show 4 more facts
- P61
- Max Wolf
Article
386 Siegena is a very large main-belt asteroid. It is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material.
It was discovered by Max Wolf on March 1, 1894, in Heidelberg.