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
- F. Kaiser
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 25 September 1913
- Pronunciation
- / k juː ˈ p aɪ d oʊ /
- Named after
- Cupid (Latin: Cupīdō), ( Roman god )
- Alternative designations
- A913 SE · 1933 TA, 1958 AF · 1913 ST
- Minor planet category
- main-belt · ( inner ) , Flora · background
- Adjectives
- Cupidinian / k juː p ɪ ˈ d ɪ n i ə n /
- Observation arc
- 106.59 yr (38,932 d)
- Aphelion
- 2.6136 AU
- Perihelion
- 1.8693 AU
- Semi major axis
- 2.2415 AU
- Orbital period sidereal
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Cupid
- Followed by
- Q156994
- Follows
- 762 Pulcova
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +7.005
- Orbital period
- +1224.694733806971
Show 3 more facts
Article
763 Cupido (prov. designation: A913 SE or 1913 ST) is a Flora asteroid, tumbler and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 25 September 1913, by German astronomer Franz Kaiser at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The S/L-type asteroid has an exceptionally long rotation period of 151 hours. It was named by its Latin name after Cupid, the Roman god of erotic love, attraction and affection.
Orbit and classification