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
- 20 September 1916
- Pronunciation
- / s t æ ˈ t aɪər ə /
- Alternative designations
- 1916 AA; 1926 VA;, 1949 SQ; 1949 UO1;, 1971 KZ; 1972 RV1
- Observation arc
- 89.43 yr (32664 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.5345 AU (379.16 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.8906 AU (282.83 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.2125 AU (330.99 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.29 yr (1202.1 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 91.2840 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 17 58.128 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 832 Karin
- Follows
- 830 Petropolitana
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +7.218
- Orbital period
- +1202.1036325709
Show 3 more facts
Article
831 Stateira is an asteroid belonging to the Baptistina family in the Main Belt named after Stateira, wife of Artaxerexes II.
References