Central Centaurus A
Explanation:
A mere 11 million light-years away,
Centaurus A
is the closest
active
galaxy to planet Earth.
Also known
as NGC 5128,
the peculiar elliptical galaxy is over 60,000 light-years across.
A region spanning about 8,500 light-years, including the galaxy's center
(upper left), is framed in this sharp
Hubble
Space telescope close-up.
Centaurus A is apparently the result of a
collision of two otherwise normal galaxies
resulting in a violent jumble of star forming regions, massive
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.
