Centaurus A is a giant galaxy located in the southern constellation of Centaurus.
Also known as NGC 5128, LEDA 46957, ESO 270-9, and Caldwell 7, the galaxy is one of the brightest objects in the southern hemisphere night sky.
Centaurus A was discovered on April 29, 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
At a distance of 13 million light-years, it is the closest active galactic nucleus to us.
Astronomers theorize that what was originally an elliptical galaxy collided with a relatively smaller spiral galaxy, giving it the peculiar shape we see now.
“At Centaurus A’s core sits a supermassive black hole actively feeding on surrounding material,” the Webb astronomers said in a statement.
“As it does, the black hole launches powerful jets and releases enormous amounts of energy, shaping the galaxy around it.”
“At the same time, Centaurus A bears the scars of a dramatic past: a major collision with another galaxy roughly two billion years ago.”
“The aftermath of that merger is still visible today in its unusual structure and ongoing star formation.”
Visible light observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope could not reveal the central region of Centaurus A where dust blocked the view, while NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope revealed large scale structures in the infrared without resolving individual stars.
Now, Webb brings both clarity and depth, exposing the galaxy’s inner workings star by star.
Source: Sci.News
@EverythingScience
