What is Centaurus A?
Q: What is Centaurus A?
A: Centaurus A, also known as NGC 5128, is a prominent galaxy in the constellation of Centaurus.
Q: Who discovered it?
A: It was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop at his home in New South Wales, Australia.
Q: What type of galaxy is it?
A: It is either a Hubble type lenticular galaxy or an elliptical galaxy.
Q: How far away from Earth is it?
A: It is 10-16 million light-years away.
Q: Does Centaurus A have any special characteristics?
A: Yes, it has an active center and the fifth brightest in the sky, making it an ideal amateur astronomy target. Additionally, studies have confirmed that Centaurus A is colliding with and devouring a smaller spiral galaxy which has produced an intense burst of star formation. The center of the galaxy contains a supermassive black hole with a mass of about 55 million solar masses which ejects relativistic jets with emissions in X-ray and radio wavelengths. The radio jets are over one million light years long.
Q: Is Centaurus A visible from all locations on Earth?
A: No, it is only visible from low northern latitudes and the southern hemisphere.
