Q150392

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

Geometric albedo

0.0910 ± 0.008

Discovered by

Auguste Charlois

Discovery date

15 July 1890

Alternative designations

A890 NA, 1913 VA, 1926 AG, 1929 NE, 1951 PA, 1973 KD

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

109.86 yr (40125 d)

Aphelion

3.90240 AU (583.791 Gm )

Perihelion

2.41114 AU (360.701 Gm)

Semi major axis

3.15677 AU (472.246 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

5.61 yr (2048.6 d )

Mean anomaly

214.894 °

Mean motion

0° 10 32.621 / day

Inclination

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

Q150423

Follows

293 Brasilia

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+51.865

Orbital period

+2049.126699673449