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. Rheden
- Discovery site
- Vienna Observatory
- Discovery date
- 26 February 1913
- Pronunciation
- / æ ɡ ə n ˈ t aɪ n ə /
- Named after
- Aguntum , (ancient Roman town)
- Alternative designations
Article
744 Aguntina, provisional designation 1913 QW, is a rare-type carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 60 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Austrian astronomer Joseph Rheden at Vienna Observatory, Austria, on 26 February 1913.
The dark F-type asteroid, classified as a FX-subtype in the Tholen taxonomic scheme, orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.5 AU once every 5 years and 8 months (2,062 days). Its orbit is tilted by 8 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic and shows an eccentricity of 0.12.