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
- Franz Kaiser
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg
- Discovery date
- 25 February 1913
- Pronunciation
- / juː ˈ dʒ ɛ n ɪ s ɪ s /
- Alternative designations
- 1913 QV
- Observation arc
- 103.14 yr (37,671 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.9573 AU (442.41 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.6303 AU (393.49 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7938 AU (417.95 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.67 yr (1,705.7 d)
- Mean anomaly
- 148.01 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 12 39.816 / day
- Inclination
- 4.8324°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Isis
- Followed by
- 744 Aguntina
- Follows
- Q536659
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +51.072
- Orbital period
- +1704.310127878234
Show 4 more facts
Article
743 Eugenisis is a minor planet orbiting the Sun that was discovered by German astronomer Franz Kaiser in 1913.
Photometric observations of this asteroid collected during 2004 show a rotation period of 10.23 ± 0.01 hours with a brightness variation of 0.20 ± 0.02 magnitude. The spectrum of this object matches the Ch class in the SMASS taxonomy, indicating a carbonaceous surface with a hydrous component.