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
- 11 October 1891
- Named after
- Katharina Pohl
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Eos )
- Observation arc
- 108.42 yr (39602 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.36300 AU (503.098 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.6595 AU (397.86 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.01122 AU (450.472 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.23 yr (1908.6 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 315.691 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 11 19.036 / day
- Inclination
- 9.3783°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 219.929°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 321 Florentina
- Follows
- 319 Leona
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +23.362
- Orbital period
- +1909.410856765427
Show 3 more facts
- P6259
Article
320 Katharina is a small Main belt asteroid orbiting in the Eos family of asteroids, including 513 Centesima and 221 Eos. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 11 October 1891 in Vienna. It is named after the discoverer's mother.
References