Q158074

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

F. Gonnessiat

Discovery site

Algiers Obs.

Discovery date

19 March 1920

Named after

Thomas Whittemore , (American archaeologist)

Alternative designations

A920 FB · 1920 GU, A904 HB · 1904 HB

Minor planet category

main-belt ( outer ) background

Observation arc

115.71 yr (42,264 d)

Aphelion

3.9061 AU

Perihelion

2.4319 AU

Semi major axis

3.1690 AU

Orbital period sidereal

5.64 yr (2,061 d)

Mean anomaly

340.57 °

Mean motion

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Followed by

Q158084

Follows

Q158070

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

+45.298

Orbital period

+2058.103516202714