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
- Joel Hastings Metcalf
- Discovery site
- Taunton
- Discovery date
- 20 March 1907
- Alternative designations
- 1907 ZC
- Observation arc
- 101.00 yr (36889 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.9633 AU (443.30 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.2819 AU (341.37 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.6226 AU (392.34 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.25 yr (1551.3 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 314.963 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 13 55.416 / day
- Inclination
- 8.6163°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 265.120°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Joel Hastings Metcalf
- Followed by
- Q157116
- Follows
- Q157108
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +61.804
- Orbital period
- +1551.055554858403
Show 4 more facts
- P65
Article
792 Metcalfia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. It was discovered in 1907 by Joel Hastings Metcalf and was named after its discoverer. This is an X-type asteroid in the main belt some 2.62 AU from the Sun. It has a rotation period of 9.17 hours and spans 61 km. The best fit meteorite analog is Gorlovka OC sample RS-CMP-048.
See also