This image highlights NGC 3660, a starburst spiral galaxy located approximately 171 million light-years away in the constellation Crater.
With an apparent size of 2.56′ × 2.17′, its estimated diameter is about 127,000 light-years. Classified as a Seyfert 2 galaxy, it harbors an active nucleus, while its starburst activity suggests regions of intense star formation.
Appearing nearby in the image on the right of NGC 3660 but far more distant in space, Burçin’s Galaxy (PGC 1000714) is an exceptionally rare double-ringed Hoag-type galaxy, approximately 360 million light-years away. Unlike typical ring galaxies, its two distinct stellar rings encircle a central core with no visible connection, challenging conventional galaxy formation theories.
Even more distant on the left is PGC 3081853 at a distance of approximately 1.3 billion light-years, emphasizing the vast cosmic scale captured in this field of view.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby