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
- 21 March 1893
- Named after
- Vincenzo Cerulli
- Alternative designations
- 1893 W; A909 BN;, 1931 AS
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 118.13 yr (43147 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.31800 AU (496.366 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.97001 AU (444.307 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.14400 AU (470.336 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.57 yr (2036.2 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 283.472 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 36.476 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Vincenzo Cerulli
- Followed by
- 367 Amicitia
- Follows
- Q151951
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +86.368
- Orbital period
- +2039.588912997826
Show 4 more facts
- P65
Article
366 Vincentina is a fairly large main belt asteroid.
Vincentina was discovered on 21 March 1893 by Auguste Charlois, and named after Vincenzo Cerulli, an Italian astronomer.