Q153133

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

31 December 1896

Pronunciation

/ ˈ ɡ r eɪ ʃ ( i ) ə /

Named after

The Charites

Alternative designations

1896 DF

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

117.66 yr (42975 d)

Aphelion

3.07379 AU (459.832 Gm )

Perihelion

2.47464 AU (370.201 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.77421 AU (415.016 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

4.62 yr (1687.8 d )

Mean anomaly

350.256 °

Mean motion

0° 12 47.887 / day

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Charites

Followed by

425 Cornelia

Follows

423 Diotima

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+102.565

Orbital period

+1686.720713502423