Q157993

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

G. Neujmin

Discovery site

Simeiz Obs.

Discovery date

5 September 1915

Named after

Lyka, a friend of the discoverer's sister

Alternative designations

A915 RR · 1950 BS, 1951 JJ · 1915 S4, 1915 Σ4

Minor planet category

main-belt · ( inner ) , background

Observation arc

100.18 yr (36,591 d)

Aphelion

2.8590 AU

Perihelion

1.9035 AU

Semi major axis

2.3812 AU

Orbital period sidereal

3.67 yr (1,342 d)

Mean anomaly

181.91 °

Mean motion

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

918 Itha

Follows

916 America

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+34.878

Orbital period

+1342.344673910625