Q107661

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

A. de Gasparis

Discovery site

Capodimonte Obs.

Discovery date

10 February 1861

Pronunciation

/ ɔː ˈ s oʊ n i ə /

Named after

Ausonia , (ancient name for Italy)

Alternative designations

1947 NA · 1948 WT

Minor planet category

main-belt · ( inner ) , Vesta

Adjectives

Ausonian / ɔː ˈ s oʊ n i ə n /

Observation arc

156.34 yr (57,104 days)

Aphelion

2.6993 AU

Perihelion

2.0910 AU

Semi major axis

2.3951 AU

Orbital period sidereal

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

64 Angelina

Follows

62 Erato

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+116.044

Orbital period

+1353.450072748339

Image

Ausonia VLT.png