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
- 7 September 1896
- Alternative designations
- 1896 CY
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Cybele )
- Observation arc
- 115.96 yr (42353 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.5216 AU (526.82 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 3.3110 AU (495.32 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.4163 AU (511.07 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 6.31 yr (2306.4 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 220.0218 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 9 21.924 / day
- Inclination
- 6.6874°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 242.661°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Berthold II, Duke of Carinthia
- Followed by
- 421 Zähringia
- Follows
- 419 Aurelia
- Parent body
- Sun
- Diameter
- +138.699
- Orbital period
- +2308.95040484776
Show 4 more facts
Article
420 Bertholda is a very large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by Max Wolf on September 7, 1896, in Heidelberg, Germany. The object is part of the Cybele asteroid group, and is classified as a P-type asteroid.
References