Centaurus A

The nearest radio galaxy, an elliptical crossed by a dust lane and powered by jets from a giant black hole.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Jets from its central supermassive black hole inflate radio lobes spanning over a million light-years.
• The dark dust lane across its middle is the remains of a spiral galaxy it swallowed.
• It is the fifth-brightest galaxy in the sky, prominent from the southern hemisphere.

Specifications & Metrics

• GALAXY TYPE: Peculiar elliptical (radio galaxy)
• DISTANCE: 12 million light-years
• DIAMETER: ~97,000 light-years