NGC 5128 -  A GIANT ELLIPTICAL GALAXY  Located approximately 10 million light years away in the constellation Centaurus, this galaxy is one of the strangest ones we know about. The dust lane appears to be the remnant of a smaller spiral galaxy that has been swallowed up NGC 5128! Recent observations by Hubble Space Telescope suggest that there is an enormous  Black Hole at the center of NGC 5128 equivalent to 1 billion solar masses. 

NGC 5128 is known Centaurus A by radio astronomers and has a very strong double radio signal. It is actually the closest radio galaxy to us and is listened to by radio telescopes around the world.

L10.5/R10.5/G10/B10.5 no binning

Imaged at Zodiac Ranch Fort Davis, TX May 2003

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Last modified: January 1st, 2009