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
- B. Jekhovsky
- Discovery site
- Algiers
- Discovery date
- 29 April 1921
- Alternative designations
- 1921 JT
- Observation arc
- 88.30 yr (32251 days)
- Aphelion
- 3.3166 AU (496.16 Gm )
- Perihelion
- 2.2559 AU (337.48 Gm)
- Semi major axis
- 2.7863 AU (416.82 Gm)
- Orbital period sidereal
- 4.65 yr (1698.8 d )
- Mean anomaly
- 106.695 °
- Mean motion
- 0° 12 42.912 / day
- Inclination
- 8.6667°
- Longitude of ascending node
- 36.431°
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- asteroid
- Followed by
- Q158254
- Follows
- Q158240
- Parent body
- Sun
- Minor-planet group
- asteroid belt
- Diameter
- +24.062
- Orbital period
- +1699.961585950549
Show 3 more facts
Article
953 Painleva is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. It was discovered on 29 April 1921 by the Russian astronomer Benjamin Jekhowsky. The planet was named in honor of the French statesman and mathematician Paul Painlevé.
References