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
- 22 September 1892
- Pronunciation
- / d ɪ ˈ v oʊ s ə /
- Named after
- (unknown)
- Alternative designations
- 1892 E
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 123.6 yr (45,130 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.71030 AU (405.455 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.05546 AU (307.492 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.38288 AU (356.474 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.68 yr (1,343.4 d)
- Mean anomaly
- 169.690 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 16 4.616 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q151437
- Follows
- 336 Lacadiera
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +64.549
- Orbital period
- +1344.151392179368
Show 4 more facts
- P720
Article
337 Devosa is a large Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on 22 September 1892 in Nice. The asteroid is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.38 AU with a period of 3.68 years and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.14. These orbital elements are similar to that of the large asteroid 4 Vesta. The orbital plane of 337 Devosa is tilted at an angle of 7.85° to the plane of the ecliptic.
This is classified as an X-type asteroid in the Tholen system and Xk type in the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy, with spectral properties similar to mesosiderites. It spans a girth of 59±2 km and has a rotation period of 4.65 h.