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
- Raymond Smith Dugan
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg
- Discovery date
- 10 January 1904
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ b r ɪ k s i ə /
- Alternative designations
- 1904 NB
- Observation arc
- 112.27 yr (41005 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.5139 AU (525.67 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.9657 AU (294.06 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7398 AU (409.87 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.54 yr (1656.4 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 308.887 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 13 2.388 / day
- Inclination
- 10.596°
Article
521 Brixia is a relatively large minor planet, specifically an asteroid orbiting mostly in the asteroid belt that was discovered by American astronomer Raymond Smith Dugan on January 10, 1904. The name derives from Brixia, the ancient name of the Italian city of Brescia.
References