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
- Max Wolf
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 22 December 1910
- Alternative designations
- 1910 LD
- Observation arc
- 104.80 yr (38277 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.4175 AU (361.65 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.9433 AU (290.71 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.1804 AU (326.18 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.22 yr (1176.0 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 355.232 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 18 22.068 / day
- Inclination
- 4.2706°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 281.961°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 708 Raphaela
- Follows
- 706 Hirundo
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +9.003
- Orbital period
- +1176.013699621681
- Image
- Орбита астероида 707.png
Show 3 more facts
Article
707 Steina is a minor planet, specifically an asteroid orbiting in the asteroid belt.
The light curve of 707 Steina shows a periodicity of 414 ± 10 hours, during which time the brightness of the object varies by 1.00 ± 0.15 in magnitude.