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
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 29 September 1924
- Pronunciation
- / ə ˈ m eɪ t ə /
- Named after
- Amata ( Roman mythology )
- Alternative designations
- 1924 SW · 1935 SU, 1969 TJ 4 · A913 UC
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( outer )
- Observation arc
- 102.63 yr (37,484 days)
- Aphelion
- 3.7582 AU
- Perihelion
- 2.5551 AU
- Semi major axis
- 3.1566 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.61 yr (2,049 days)
- Mean anomaly
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 1036 Ganymed
- Follows
- Q121489
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +56.063
- Orbital period
- +2044.393104068391
- Image
- 001035-asteroid shape model (1035) Amata.png
Show 3 more facts
Article
1035 Amata /əˈmeɪtə/ is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 57 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany on 29 September 1924 and assigned the provisional designation 1924 SW. It was probably named after Amata from Roman mythology.
Classification and orbit