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
- P. Lowell
- Discovery site
- Lowell Observatory
- Discovery date
- 9 April 1907
- Alternative designations
- 1907 ZD
- Observation arc
- 108.93 yr (39788 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.1456 AU (470.58 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.4458 AU (365.89 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7957 AU (418.23 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.67 yr (1707.4 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 8.40127 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 12 39.06 / day
- Inclination
- 15.7875°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 36.055°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q157125
- Follows
- Q112338
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +26.636
- Orbital period
- +1707.941394700078
Show 4 more facts
- P720
Article
793 Arizona is a minor planet orbiting the Sun that was discovered April 9, 1907 by American businessman Percival Lowell at Flagstaff. It was named for the state of Arizona. The object was independently discovered on April 17, 1907, by J. H. Metcalf at Taunton. This is a main belt asteroid orbiting 2.8 AU from the Sun with a period of 4.675 yr and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.13. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 15.8° to the plane of the ecliptic.
Photometric observations at the Palmer Divide Observatory in Colorado Springs, Colorado during the winter of 2007–2008 were used to build a light curve for this asteroid. The asteroid displayed a period of 7.367±0.005 h and a brightness change of 0.25±0.02 in magnitude. It spans a diameter of approximately 29 km and is a candidate D-type asteroid with an unusual spectrum.