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
- Discovery date
- 7 October 1902
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ v ɜːr t ə s /
- Alternative designations
- 1902 JV
- Observation arc
- 113.29 yr (41379 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.1756 AU (475.06 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.7961 AU (418.29 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.9858 AU (446.67 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.16 yr (1884.5 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 143.315 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 11 27.708 / day
- Inclination
- 7.0866°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Virtus
- Followed by
- 495 Eulalia
- Follows
- 493 Griseldis
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +100.786
- Orbital period
- +1884.313789719013
Show 4 more facts
- P61
- Max Wolf
- P65
Article
494 Virtus is an 86 km minor planet orbiting the Sun. It was discovered by Max Wolf on October 7, 1902. Its provisional name was 1902 JV.
References