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
- E. F. Coddington
- Discovery date
- October 13 1898
- Pronunciation
- / oʊ ˈ h aɪ . oʊ /
- Alternative designations
- 1898 EB
- Minor planet category
- Main belt
- Observation arc
- 117.46 yr (42903 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.32739 AU (497.770 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.93686 AU (439.348 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.13212 AU (468.558 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.54 yr (2024.7 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 35.2583 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 40.102 / day
- Inclination
- 19.1544°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Ohio River
- Followed by
- Q153948
- Follows
- Q153853
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +70.421
- Orbital period
- +2024.257850034379
Show 4 more facts
- P65
Article
439 Ohio is a large Main belt asteroid.
It was discovered by E. F. Coddington on October 13, 1898, at Mount Hamilton, California. It was first of his total of three asteroid discoveries. The object is named for the U.S. state of Ohio.