PKS 2152-69

These CCD images of the southern radio galaxy PKS 2152-69 show the gas cloud in which quasar-like activity has been discovered. The frame to the left was obtained in integrated light (continuum) and demonstrates the smooth distribution of stars in this seemingly normal elliptical galaxy. However, a highly energetic gas cloud is clearly seen to the upper left in the right frame, which was obtained by subtracting the continuum image from an image made in the red light of hydrogen and nitrogen. The two frames have the same scale. The frames were exposed with a CCD camera at the 2.2 m telescope at the ESO La Silla observatory.