A Nearby Elliptical Galaxy With An Active Galactic Nucleus

Chandra_166_1024

chandra_166 August 6th, 2001

Credit: NASA/SAO/R.Kraft et al.

This stunning Chandra X-ray Observatory image of Centaurus A was the result of approximately 20 hours of observation. In addition to the bright central source, a suspected supermassive black hole, and the X-ray jet emanating from the core, more than 200 point-like X-ray sources were identified and studied. Because of their distribution around the center of the galaxy, it is believed that most of these point-like X-ray sources are X-ray binaries in which a neutron star or stellar-sized black hole is consuming matter from a nearby companion star. A diffuse cloud of hot X-ray producing gas that envelopes the central region can also be seen.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2001/0157blue/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Centaurus A
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Elliptical
Galaxy > Activity > AGN

Distance

Universescale2
11,000,000 light years
Chandra_166_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 13h 25m 27.9s
DEC = -43° 1’ 23.5”
Orientation
North is 0.5° CW
Field of View
9.4 x 6.7 arcminutes
Constellation
Centaurus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Spectrum_xray1
Blue
Chandra_166_1280
×
ID
166
Subject Category
C.5.1.4   C.5.3.2  
Subject Name
Centaurus A
Credits
NASA/SAO/R.Kraft et al.
Release Date
2001-08-06
Lightyears
11,000,000
Redshift
11,000,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2001/0157blue/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
ACIS
Color Assignment
Blue
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.8267
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
201.3661957, -43.0231952
Reference Dimension
2154.0, 1539.0
Reference Pixel
1078.0, 770.5
Scale
7.30594e-05, 7.3059431e-05
Rotation
-0.51
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden St.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-Ray Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
0157blue_xray.tif
Metadata Date
2011-07-06
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
11,000,000 light years

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