Q150423

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

17 August 1890

Named after

Unknown

Alternative designations

A890 QA

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

116.73 yr (42635 d)

Aphelion

3.27560 AU (490.023 Gm )

Perihelion

2.31460 AU (346.259 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.79510 AU (418.141 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

4.67 yr (1706.8 d )

Mean anomaly

266.698 °

Mean motion

0° 12 39.294 / day

Inclination

2.70824°

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Maria Theresa of Austria

Followed by

296 Phaëtusa

Follows

Q150392

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+28.34

Orbital period

+1709.778564504631