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 site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 13 February 1901
- Pronunciation
- German: [ ˈnɔliː ]
- Alternative designations
- 1901 GC, 1940 CD, 1940 CP, 1981 QR, 1986 PP 4
- Minor planet category
- Main belt Eunomia family
- Observation arc
- 115.18 yr (42068 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.9454 AU (440.63 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.3809 AU (356.18 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.6632 AU (398.41 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.35 yr (1587.5 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 229.46 °
- Mean motion
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 474 Prudentia
- Follows
- 472 Roma
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +12.394
- Orbital period
- +1585.181308795497
Show 3 more facts
Article
473 Nolli is a small asteroid that may be in the Eunomia family. It was discovered by Max Wolf on February 13, 1901, who only observed it for 1 month. It had become a lost asteroid and was recovered in 1987, 86 years after its discovery.
References