Figure 24-9: R I V U X G
Peculiar Galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) This extraordinary radio galaxy is located in the constellation Centaurus, 11 million ly from Earth. At visible wavelengths a dust lane crosses the face of the galaxy. Superimposed on this visible image is a false-color radio image (green) showing that vast quantities of radio emission pour from matter ejected from the galaxy perpendicular to the dust lane, along with radio emission (rose-colored) along the dust lane, and X-ray emission (blue) detected by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The X-rays may be from material ejected by the black hole or from the collision of Centaurus A with a smaller galaxy. Upper right inset: This X-ray image from the Einstein Observatory shows that NGC 5128 has a bright X-ray nucleus. An X-ray jet protrudes from the nucleus along a direction perpendicular to the galaxy’s dust lane.
Peculiar Galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) This extraordinary radio galaxy is located in the constellation Centaurus, 11 million ly from Earth. At visible wavelengths a dust lane crosses the face of the galaxy. Superimposed on this visible image is a false-color radio image (green) showing that vast quantities of radio emission pour from matter ejected from the galaxy perpendicular to the dust lane, along with radio emission (rose-colored) along the dust lane, and X-ray emission (blue) detected by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The X-rays may be from material ejected by the black hole or from the collision of Centaurus A with a smaller galaxy. Upper right inset: This X-ray image from the Einstein Observatory shows that NGC 5128 has a bright X-ray nucleus. An X-ray jet protrudes from the nucleus along a direction perpendicular to the galaxy’s dust lane.
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/M. Karovska et al.; radio 21-cm: NRAO/VLA/J. Van Gorkom/Schminovich et al.; radio continuum: NRAO/VLA/J. Conden et al.; optical: Digitized Sky Survey U.K. Schmidt Image/STScI; inset: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Bristol U./M. Hardcastle; radio: RAO/VLA/Bristol U./M. Hardcastle)