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
- R. S. Dugan
- Discovery date
- May 30, 1903
- Designation
- (511) Davida
- Pronunciation
- / d ə ˈ v iː d ə / , Latin Dāvīda
- Named after
- David Peck Todd
- Alternative names
- 1903 LU
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( outer ) , Meliboea
- Adjectives
- Davidian / d ə ˈ v ɪ d i ə n /
- Aphelion
- 3.759 AU
- Perihelion
- 2.569 AU
- Semi major axis
- 3.163 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.626 yr (2055 d)
- Mean anomaly
- 113°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- David Peck Todd
- Followed by
- Q155021
- Follows
- Q155012
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +270.327
- Orbital period
- +2055.297593845474
- Image
- 511 Davida VLT (2021), deconvolved.pdf
Show 4 more facts
Article
511 Davida is a large C-type asteroid in the asteroid belt. It is one of the largest asteroids; approximately tied for 7th place, to within measurement uncertainties, and the 5th or 6th most massive. It was discovered by R. S. Dugan in 1903. Davida is named after David Peck Todd, an astronomy professor at Amherst College.
Physical characteristics