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
- Alphonse Borrelly
- Discovery date
- 6 March 1885
- Named after
- Asporina
- Alternative designations
- A885 EA
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 130.96 yr (47834 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.98941 AU (447.209 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.39768 AU (358.688 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.69355 AU (402.949 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.42 yr (1614.7 d )
- Average orbital speed
- 18.14 km/s
- Mean anomaly
- 172.414 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 13 22.638 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Cybele
- Followed by
- 247 Eukrate
- Follows
- 245 Vera
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +50.891
- Orbital period
- +1618.155509137233
Show 5 more facts
- P65
Article
246 Asporina is a sizeable main-belt asteroid. It is classified as one of the few A-type asteroids.
It was discovered by Alphonse Borrelly on 6 March 1885 in Marseille and was named after Asporina, a goddess worshipped on Mount Asporenus (or Aspordenus), Asia Minor. This location is known in the modern day as the Yunt Mountains, and Asporina is sometimes identified with the goddess Cybele.