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
- Luigi Carnera
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Observatory
- Discovery date
- 20 February 1901
- Pronunciation
- / ɑːr dʒ ə n ˈ t aɪ n ə /
- Named after
- Argentina
- Alternative designations
- 1901 GE
- Minor planet category
- main belt
- Adjectives
- Argentinian / ɑːr dʒ ə n ˈ t ɪ n i ə n /
- Observation arc
- 109.08 yr (39840 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.68734 AU (551.618 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.67484 AU (400.150 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.18109 AU (475.884 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
Article
469 Argentina is an asteroid that was discovered by Luigi Carnera on 20 February 1901. Its provisional name was 1901 GE. 469 Argentina has an estimated rotation period of 12.3 hours.
References