NGC5128, Centaurus A

About this image

An unobtrusive arc of blue stars stretching above the iconic galaxy Centaurus A represents the lingering signature of an episode of galactic cannibalism that is surprisingly recent and, astronomically speaking, quite nearby. For details, see NOAO press release 02-11, and the Johns Hopkins press release. The scientific paper is scheduled to appear in the Astronomical Journal for December 2002. This is a full frame view of the galaxy: the close-up view used in the press release is also available, as well as a true color image also taken by the CTIO Blanco 4-meter telescope.

More: galaxies page, elliptical galaxies page.

Minimum credit line: Eric Peng (JHU), Holland Ford (JHU/STScI), Ken Freeman (ANU), Rick White (STScI), NOAO/AURA/NSF

Downloadable versions:
200 x 215 15 kb color JPEG (on this page)
400 x 429 62 kb color JPEG
1911 x 2051 1.0 Mb color JPEG
1911 x 2051 3.8 Mb 8-bit color TIFF
1911 x 2051 11.5 Mb 24-bit color TIFF
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