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Centaurus A

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 580 words | Copyright

Centaurus A A strong radio and X-ray source in the constellation Centaurus, identified with the 7th-magnitude giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128. Centaurus A is a classical radio galaxy with two pairs of radio-emitting lobes, the largest spanning 1.5 million l.y., and an X-ray-emitting jet over 15 000 l.y. long. At 11 million l.y. away, it is the nearest radio galaxy to the Sun. Although the parent galaxy is classified as elliptical, it has an uncharacteristic band of dust across it and is believed to be the result of a merger between an elliptical and a spiral galaxy.

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