Centaurus A
Explanation:
Only 11 million light-years away,
Centaurus A
is the closest
active
galaxy to planet Earth.
Spanning over 60,000 light-years, the peculiar elliptical galaxy
also known
as NGC 5128,
is featured in
this
sharp telescopic view.
Centaurus A is apparently the result of a
collision
of two otherwise normal galaxies
resulting in a fantastic jumble of star clusters and
imposing dark dust lanes.
Near the
galaxy's center, left over
cosmic debris is steadily
being consumed by a central black hole with a billion times
the mass of the Sun.
As
in other active galaxies, that process likely generates the radio,
X-ray, and gamma-ray energy radiated by
Centaurus A.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
