SOCO IMAGE GALLERY


 

Centaurus A (NGC 5128)  

NGC 5128 is a "peculiar" galaxy commonly known as "Centaurus A". This galaxy is located in the constellation Centaurus and is a strong radio source. The source of radio emissions is thought to be a massive black hole at the center of the galaxy. There has been a lot of debate over this object's actual structure. Most astronomers now feel that this object has an elliptical or lenticular form that resulted from the collision and merger of a large elliptical galaxy with a smaller spiral galaxy. Presumably, the dark band of obscurring dust is left over from the spiral galaxy. Detailed observations show two jets of material shooting away from the galaxy center in opposite directions. These jets are oriented roughly perpendicular to the dark dust lane and extend out over a million LY. The jets are travelling at about half the speed of light and, when they collide with gases farther out from the galaxy, they create powerful emissions of X-rays and radio waves. Most of the galaxy visible in my image as a spherical glow contains older, redder stars (the individual stars seen on top of the galaxy are foreground Milky Way stars). Centaurus A is relatively close, at around 10 to 16 million LY. It is fairly large, at around 60,000 LY across. This size and distance makes this object fairly bright (visual magnitude 7). In fact, it is the fifth brightest galaxy in the sky. If it weren't so low on the horizon for most observers in North America, it would be an even more spectacular object.

Date(s) Acquired: 13, 17 May, 10 June 2015
Telescope: Orion 120mm EON Apochromatic Refractor
Camera: QSI Model 583 with TeleVue 2X PowerMate

 

   Exposure Time (min) 
   Number of Exposures
   RGB
   15
   
   -
   
   -
   OIII
   -
   RGB
   6
   
   0
   
   0
   OIII
   0

 

Processing:
Master red, green, and blue images created using Basic Processing Procedure I.
Color composite image created using Basic Processing Procedure III.
Color composite image contrast-stretched using Adobe Photoshop.




 

 

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