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 Observatory
- Discovery date
- 17 April 1915
- Alternative designations
- 1915 WW
- Observation arc
- 100.85 yr (36835 d)
- Aphelion
- 3.7899 AU (566.96 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.5947 AU (388.16 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 3.1923 AU (477.56 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 5.70 yr (2083.3 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 132.402 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 10 22.08 / day
- Inclination
- 15.728°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 166.446°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- 806 Gyldénia
- Follows
- 804 Hispania
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +73.095
- Orbital period
- +2087.553490563479
Show 4 more facts
Article
805 Hormuthia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. This asteroid follows an elliptical orbit through the main asteroid belt that reaches perihelion just outside the Kirkwood gap at 2.5 AU. Its estimated diameter is 73 km, and it is one of the 500 largest asteroids. 805 Hormuthia was discovered by Max Wolf in 1915, at the University of Heidelberg. The planet is named after Hormuth Kopff, the wife of astronomer August Kopff.
References