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
- 7 March 1894
- Pronunciation
- / k ə ˈ r ɪ b d ɪ s /
- Named after
- Charybdis
- Alternative designations
- 1894 BA
- Minor planet category
Article
388 Charybdis (/kəˈrɪbdɪs/, prov. designation: A894 ED or 1894 BA) is a very large background asteroid, approximately 125 kilometers (78 miles) in diameter, that is located in the outer region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by French astronomer Auguste Charlois at the Nice Observatory on 7 March 1894. The carbonaceous C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 9.5 hours. It is probably named after Charybdis, a sea monster in Greek mythology.
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