Q150222

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

Auguste Charlois

Discovery date

3 August 1889

Pronunciation

/ r ɪ ˈ dʒ aɪ n ə / rij- EYE -nə

Alternative designations

A889 PA, 1911 QJ, 1951 AC 1

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

104.63 yr (38215 d)

Aphelion

3.72130 AU (556.699 Gm )

Perihelion

2.44540 AU (365.827 Gm)

Semi major axis

3.08335 AU (461.263 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

5.41 yr (1977.6 d )

Average orbital speed

16.97 km/s

Mean anomaly

137.349 °

Mean motion

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

Q110252

Follows

Q150202

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+47.156

Orbital period

+1981.431850004925