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
- Paul Götz
- Discovery date
- 18 July 1904
- Pronunciation
- German: [ fʁiːdəˈʁiːkə ]
- Alternative designations
- 1904 OK
- Minor planet category
- Main belt ( Hygiea family )
- Observation arc
- 111.70 yr (40800 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.6924 AU (552.38 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.6238 AU (392.51 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.1581 AU (472.45 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.61 yr (2049.9 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 275.237 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 32.232 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q155333
- Follows
- Q155305
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +70.64
- Orbital period
- +2046.139268162836
Show 3 more facts
Article
538 Friederike is a minor planet (an asteroid specifically) orbiting in the asteroid belt. It is a member of the Hygiea family of asteroids.
Photometric observations at the Organ Mesa Observatory in New Mexico during 2012 showed a rotation period of 46.728 ± 0.004 hours with a brightness variation of 0.25 ± 0.02 in magnitude.