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
- M. F. Wolf , A. Schwassmann
- Discovery date
- 10 October 1899
- Pronunciation
- German: [ brɪˈɡɪtaː ]
- Alternative designations
- 1899 EV
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Eos )
- Observation arc
- 116.51 yr (42557 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.31399 AU (495.766 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.72067 AU (407.006 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.01733 AU (451.386 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.24 yr (1914.4 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 125.651 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 11 16.976 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 451 Patientia
- Follows
- Q110704
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +37.038
- Orbital period
- +1913.707514744823
- Image
- 000450-asteroid shape model (450) Brigitta.png
Show 5 more facts
Article
450 Brigitta is a typical Main belt asteroid. It is a member of the Eos family.
It was discovered by Max Wolf and A. Schwassmann on 10 October 1899 in Heidelberg.