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
- J. Palisa
- Discovery date
- 16 February 1912
- Pronunciation
- / l iː ə ˈ n aɪ s ɪ s /
- Alternative designations
- 1912 NU; A907 UE;, 1941 WR; 1968 UT
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Flora family )
- Observation arc
- 103.98 yr (37979 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.4509 AU (366.65 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.0561 AU (307.59 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.2535 AU (337.12 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.38 yr (1235.6 d )
- Average orbital speed
- 19.80 km/s
- Mean anomaly
- 317.487 °
- Mean motion
Article
728 Leonisis is an asteroid of the Flora family, discovered by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa on 16 February 1912 from Vienna.
There is some uncertainty as to its spectral class. It has been previously placed in the rare A and Ld classes. These are generally "stony" spectra, but with significant deviations from the usual S-type. The unusual spectrum brings Leonisis' membership in the Flora family into doubt.