Chandra Release - February 6, 2014

Visual Description: Centaurus A

The Chandra X-ray Observatory image of Centaurus A (or Cen A) offers a sparkling view of an active galaxy that has a lit-from-within looking glow. At the center of the image, there is a bright, white source with a complex network of filaments and structures around it appearing in shades of blue, teal, gold and rust with pops of white. The structures are reminiscent of spider webs. In the background of the image, there are numerous tiny points of light against the dark backdrop of space. This image of Cen A contains data from observations, equivalent to over nine and a half days worth of time, taken between 1999 and 2012. The lowest-energy X-rays Chandra detects are in red, while the medium-energy X-rays are green, and the highest-energy ones are blue. As in all of Chandra's images of Cen A, this one shows the spectacular jet of outflowing material - seen pointing from the middle to the upper left moving towards 10 o'clock - that is generated by the giant black hole at the galaxy's center. This high-energy snapshot of Cen A also highlights a dust lane that wraps around the waist of the galaxy. Astronomers think this feature is a remnant of a collision that Cen A experienced with a smaller galaxy millions of years ago.