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
- Walther Villiger
- Discovery date
- 18 November 1897
- Pronunciation
- / m ɒ ˈ n eɪ k i ə /
- Named after
- Munich
- Alternative designations
- 1897 DK; 1946 UL;, 1949 OE; 1953 TN3;, 1974 XU
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Flora family )
- Observation arc
- 117.50 yr (42917 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.72087 AU (407.036 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.89497 AU (283.483 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.30792 AU (345.260 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.51 yr (1280.6 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 327.639 °
- Mean motion
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Munich
- Followed by
- Q153377
- Follows
- 427 Galene
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +20.184
- Orbital period
- +1280.56438147889
Show 2 more facts
- P6259
Article
428 Monachia is an asteroid orbiting within the Flora family in the Main Belt.
It was discovered by Walther Villiger on 18 November 1897 in Munich, Germany. It was his only asteroid discovery. The asteroid's name comes from the Latin name for Munich.