Q154218

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. F. Wolf , A. Schwassmann

Discovery date

27 October 1899

Alternative designations

1899 ES

Minor planet category

Main belt

Observation arc

121.46 yr (44363 d)

Aphelion

3.11615 AU (466.169 Gm )

Perihelion

2.85330 AU (426.848 Gm)

Semi major axis

2.98472 AU (446.508 Gm)

Orbital period sidereal

5.16 yr (1883.5 d )

Mean anomaly

218.145 °

Mean motion

0° 11 28.097 / day

Inclination

4.79460°

Longitude of ascending node

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

Q154266

Follows

446 Aeternitas

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+85.224

Orbital period

+1883.027311472023