Q154016

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

M. Wolf , A. Schwassmann

Discovery site

Heidelberg Obs.

Discovery date

15 February 1899

Pronunciation

/ aɪ k s ˈ f ɛ l d i ə /

Named after

Eichsfeld

Alternative designations

1899 EE; A892 FA

Minor planet category

main-belt

Observation arc

123.78 yr (45211 d)

Aphelion

2.5112 AU (375.67 Gm )

Perihelion

2.1796 AU (326.06 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.3454 AU (350.87 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

3.59 yr (1312.0 d )

Mean anomaly

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Eichsfeld

Followed by

443 Photographica

Follows

441 Bathilde

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+62.171

Mass

+195

Orbital period

+1312.105009338451