Centaurus A Nucleus
A close-up high resolution Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 image of the dramatic dust disk which is thought to be the remnant of a smaller spiral galaxy that merged with the large elliptical galaxy. The shock of the collision compressed interstellar gas, precipitating a flurry of star formation and giving the material a fleecy pattern. Dark filaments of dust mixed with cold hydrogen gas are silhouetted against the incandescent yellow-orange glow from stars behind it.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9814e |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 14 May 1998, 06:00 |
| Size: | 768 x 804 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Centaurus A, NGC 5128 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy • Local Universe : Galaxy : Component : Central Black Hole |
| Distance: | 11 million light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical B |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical V |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical R |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
