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Credit & Copyright: Fabian Neyer
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.
The remarkably deep, visible light image offers further evidence of
the ensuing cosmic violence in the faint shells and extended
features surrounding the active galaxy.
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A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: active galaxy
Publications with words: active galaxy
See also: