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
- Discovery date
- 21 May 1917
- Alternative designations
- 1917 BZ
- Observation arc
- 115.56 yr (42207 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.9483 AU (441.06 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.5146 AU (376.18 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7315 AU (408.63 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.51 yr (1648.9 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 8.17394 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 13 5.988 / day
- Inclination
- 7.3752°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 194.738°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Edward S. Holden
- Followed by
- 873 Mechthild
- Follows
- Q157545
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +34.431
- Orbital period
- +1648.47484245566
Show 4 more facts
- P61
- Max Wolf
- P65
Article
872 Holda is a minor planet orbiting the Sun.
The asteroid is named after Edward Singleton Holden, an American astronomer.