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
- G. Witt
- Discovery date
- 8 October 1896
- Pronunciation
- / b ɛr ə ˈ l aɪ n ə /
- Named after
- Berlin
- Alternative designations
- 1896 DA
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 109.00 yr (39811 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.70724 AU (404.997 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.74907 AU (261.657 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.22815 AU (333.326 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.33 yr (1214.8 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 29.4528 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 17 46.817 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Berlin
- Followed by
- 423 Diotima
- Follows
- 421 Zähringia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +10.714
- Mass
- +61200000000000000
- Orbital period
- +1215.043221158254
Show 3 more facts
Article
422 Berolina is a typical Main belt asteroid.
It was discovered by G. Witt on 8 October 1896 in Berlin. It was first of his two asteroid discoveries. The other was the famous asteroid 433 Eros.