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
- Discovery date
- 12 September 1920
- Pronunciation
- / ˈ b ɛ θ ɡ i ə /
- Alternative designations
- 1920 HO; A916 GA; 1946 GC; 1959 EQ
- Observation arc
- 99.97 yr (36513 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.7160 AU (406.31 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 1.7473 AU (261.39 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.2317 AU (333.86 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 3.33 yr (1217.7 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 296.008 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 17 44.304 / day
- Inclination
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Named after
- Hans Bethge
- Followed by
- Q158122
- Follows
- 936 Kunigunde
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +11.383
- Orbital period
- +1217.14282488421
Show 4 more facts
- P65
Article
937 Bethgea is a background asteroid from the inner region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 12 September 1920 by German astronomer Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth, from Heidelberg.
Photometric observations of this asteroid made at the Torino Observatory in Italy during 1990–1991 were used to determine a synodic rotation period of 8.356 ± 0.006 hours.