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Centaurus A (NGC 5128): X Ray - Optical Comparison
X RAY: Chandra X Ray Observatory/High Resolution Camera image (Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO)
OPTICAL: Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory 4-meter Blanco telescope image (Credit: AURA/NOAO/NSF))
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Centaurus A:
Extended X-Ray Jet in Nearby Galaxy Reveals Energy Source
Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO
Extended X-Ray Jet in Nearby Galaxy Reveals Energy Source
Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO
At a distance of 11 million light years, Centaurus A or NGC 5128, is the nearest example of a type of galaxy called an active galaxy. It is a large elliptically shaped galaxy that shows evidence of repeated explosions, probably from a supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Radio and X-ray images of the galaxy show a jet of high-energy particles blasting out from the center. Because of its unusual nature and proximity, it is one of the most extensively studied galaxies in the southern hemisphere.
| Multi-wavelength Images: (*Images not to scale) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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X-ray
NASA/CXC/SAO Jpg (138 k) Tiff (3.6 M) PS (3.4 M) |
Optical
 AURA/NOAO/NSF Jpg (74 k) Tiff (3.8 MB) PS (3.4 MB) |
Infrared
 2MASS Jpg (28 k) |
Radio NRAO/AUI Jpg (75 k) |
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Revised: June 04, 2022