The “meal” of Centaurus A

Comparison between a visible-light image (left) of Centaurus A, as seen with the FORS2 instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and a near-infared view (right) obtained with the SOFI instrument on ESO’s New Technology Telescope, at La Silla. Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is the nearest giant, elliptical galaxy, at a distance of about 12 million light-years. Between 200 and 700 million years ago, this galaxy is believed to have consumed a smaller spiral, gas-rich galaxy — the contents of which appear to be churning inside Centaurus A’s core, triggering new generations of star birth. The SOFI image was specially processed to look through the dust, providing a clear view of the centre and revealing a previously unknown ring of stars and clusters. The field of view is about 4 x 4 arcminutes.

Crédit:

À propos de l'image

Identification:eso0944b
Type:Observation
Date de publication:20 novembre 2009
Communiqués de presse en rapport:eso0944
Taille:3012 x 1551 px

À propos de l'objet

Nom:Centaurus A
Type:Local Universe : Galaxy
Local Universe : Galaxy : Component : Central Black Hole
Distance:13 million années lumière
Catégorie:Galaxies

Image Formats

Grand JPEG
645,3 Kio
JPEG taille écran
127,4 Kio

Fonds d'écran

1024x768
180,5 Kio
1280x1024
257,7 Kio
1600x1200
341,8 Kio
1920x1200
405,1 Kio
2048x1536
490,0 Kio