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
- P. M. Henry , 1876
- Discovery date
- 28 September 1876
- Named after
- Zelia Martin
- Alternative designations
- A876 SB; 1933 FC 2
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 131.26 yr (47944 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.6662 AU (398.86 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.0511 AU (306.84 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.3586 AU (352.84 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.62 yr (1323.1 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 249.62 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 16 19.524 / day
- Inclination
- 5.5001°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 170 Maria
- Follows
- 168 Sibylla
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +37.517
- Orbital period
- +1323.241801621129
Show 4 more facts
Article
169 Zelia is a main belt asteroid that was discovered by the brothers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry on September 28, 1876. Credit for this discovery was given to Prosper. Initial orbital elements for this asteroid were published in 1877 by American astronomer H. A. Howe.
Based upon its spectrum, this body is classified as a rare O-type asteroid in the taxonomic system of Bus & Binzel. Photometric observations of this asteroid during 2009 gave a light curve with a period of 14.537 ± 0.001 hours and a brightness variation of 0.14 ± 0.03 in magnitude.