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
- 6 October 1931
- Named after
- Martin Ebell, (German astronomer)
- Alternative designations
- 1931 TB 1 · 1970 JT
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( middle )
- Observation arc
- 85.48 yr (31,221 days)
- Aphelion
- 3.2287 AU
- Perihelion
- 1.8411 AU
- Semi major axis
- 2.5349 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.04 yr (1,474 days)
- Mean anomaly
- 103.87 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 14 39.12 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q136984
- Follows
- 1204 Renzia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +5.474
- Orbital period
- +1474.924611498134
Show 3 more facts
Article
1205 Ebella (provisional designation 1931 TB1) is a relatively eccentric asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory on 6 October 1931. The asteroid was named after German astronomer Martin Ebell.
Orbit and classification