The Centaurus Constellation
Located in the southern skies is the classic constellation Centaurus, the ninth largest constellation and one of the original 48 included by Ptolemy in his Almagest.
A Naked Eye Nova Erupts in Centaurus
If you live in the southern hemisphere, the southern sky constellation of Centaurus may look a little different to you tonight, as a bright nova has been identified in the region early this week. The initial discovery of Nova Centauri 2013 (Nova Cen 2013) was made by observer John Seach based out of Chatsworth Island in …
An Amazing Deep-Field View of Centaurus A
Sometimes, you just have to say “Wow!” The view you’re looking at above is of Centaurus A (NGC 5128), a galaxy about 10-16 million light years distant in the southern hemisphere sky. It’s a favorite of astrophotographers and professional observatories alike. But what makes this image so special is that it was taken by an …
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New Image Shows Beautiful Violence in Centaurus A
[/caption] The mysterious galaxy Centaurus A is a great place to study the extreme processes that occur near super-massive black holes, scientists say, and this beautiful new image from the combined forces of the Herschel Space Observatory and the XMM-Newton x-ray satellite reveals energetic processes going on deep in the galaxy’s core. This beautiful image …
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Hubble’s Stunning New View of Centaurus A
[/caption] From a HubbleSite press release: Resembling looming rain clouds on a stormy day, dark lanes of dust crisscross the giant elliptical galaxy Centaurus A. Hubble’s panchromatic vision, stretching from ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths, reveals the vibrant glow of young, blue star clusters and a glimpse into regions normally obscured by the dust. The warped …
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Astrophotography Spotlight – Centaurus A
“I’m on rhe outside… I’m lookin’ in.” And just who are we looking in at this time? None other than the familiar face of Centaurus A.. The stunning, turbulent dust lane is cloaked in the ethereal mist of living galaxy stuff – the result of a gravitationally hungry elliptical galaxy drawing a smaller companion spiral …
Ring of Stars in Centaurus A Uncovered
Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is one of the most studied objects in the Southern sky, because it is the giant elliptical galaxy with the closest proximity to our own Milky Way. It lies 11 million light years away from the Milky Way, and is believe to have merged with another gaseous galaxy about 200 to …
A Disturbance in the Force in Centaurus A
[/caption] There are some interesting dynamics going on with Centaurus A, an elliptical galaxy about 13 million light-years away. This is a very active and luminous region of space and a great disturbance is going on as another spiral galaxy is trying to get in on the action by merging with Centaurus A. But astronomers …
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Deep Inside a Giant: Part 2 – Centaurus A by Mike Sidonio
[/caption] Our first glimpse into the intricacies of Centaurus A was the big picture. We soon found out that not only was the first photograph a deep study, but the study of NGC 5128 was going to go deeper as well. One of the most obvious of all features is the central dust lane which …
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Deep Inside a Giant – Centaurus A by Mike Sidonio
[/caption] Before you dismiss this as just another photo of Centaurus A, you better look again. It’s way deeper… First discovered by James Dunlop on August 4, 1826 this incredible galaxy known as Centaurus A (NGC 5128) has been tickling the imagination of astronomers since John Herschel described it as “two semi-ovals of elliptically formed …
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