Q150022

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

Johann Palisa

Discovery date

15 April 1888

Pronunciation

/ s eɪ p i ˈ ɛ n ʃ ə /

Named after

Sapientia

Alternative designations

A888 GB, 1906 AB, 1962 GE, 1962 HA

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

124.23 yr (45374 d)

Aphelion

3.22294 AU (482.145 Gm )

Perihelion

2.31754 AU (346.699 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.77024 AU (414.422 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

4.61 yr (1684.1 d )

Mean anomaly

300.952 °

Mean motion

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

wisdom

Followed by

276 Adelheid

Follows

274 Philagoria

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+103.0

Orbital period

+1687.347943610878

Image

Орбита астероида 275.png