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
- K. Reinmuth
- Discovery site
- Heidelberg Obs.
- Discovery date
- 15 October 1914
- Alternative designations
- 1914 VH
- Observation arc
- 101.51 yr (37076 d)
- Aphelion
Article
796 Sarita is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. It was discovered 15 October 1914 by German astronomer Karl W. Reinmuth. This is a main belt that is orbiting at a radius of 2.63 AU with a period of 4.28 yr and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.32. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 19.052° from the plane of the ecliptic. Tholen (1989) initially classified it as type XD, although later authors treated it as an M-class body. The object's visual albedo is considered characteristic of the latter type. It has a significantly higher radar albedo than most main belt objects, which also suggests a higher metallic content.
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