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
- Max Wolf
- Discovery date
- 16 March 1895
- Pronunciation
- / ɒ ˈ t ɪ l i ə /
- Named after
- Ottilia
- Alternative designations
- 1895 BT
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Cybele )
- Observation arc
- 121.08 yr (44225 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.45079 AU (516.231 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 3.24397 AU (485.291 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.34738 AU (500.761 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 6.12 yr (2234.4 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 172.933 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 9 40.032 / day
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Odile of Alsace
- Followed by
- 402 Chloë
- Follows
- 400 Ducrosa
- Parent body
- Sun
- Diameter
- +87.803
- Orbital period
- +2235.93662020185
Show 3 more facts
Article
401 Ottilia is a large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by Max Wolf on March 16, 1895, in Heidelberg. It is named after the Germanic folkloric character Ottilia.
The semi-major axis of the orbit of 401 Ottilia at 3.47 AU lies just outside the 2:1 Kirkwood gap, located at 3.27 AU. 401 Ottilia is part of the Cybele asteroid group.