NGC 660 Polar ring galaxy

NGC 660 is a polar-ring galaxy spanning 40,000 light-years and is located about 45 million light-years from Earth in the Pisces constellation. The galaxy has a belt of gas and stars surrounding its centre that was ripped from a neighbour during a clash around 1 billion years ago.

In late 2012, astronomers observed a massive outburst from NGC 660 that was around ten times brighter than a supernova explosion, and is believed to be caused by a massive jet shooting out of the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy.

Constellation Pisces

Distance about 42 million light-years from Earth

Size 5′ across in our sky