Centaurus A (NGC 5128)

Centaurus A (NGC 5128) — galaxy, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore Centaurus A (NGC 5128) in an interactive 3D view of space. See its catalogue position, distance and astronomical facts.

A giant elliptical with a dark dust lane slashed across it — the wreckage of a spiral galaxy it swallowed. Its black hole fires a jet that lights up the radio sky bigger than the full Moon.

Type

Peculiar elliptical / merger

Distance

12.4 million light-years

Nearest

Giant radio galaxy to Earth

Core

A 55-million-solar-mass black hole

Explore Centaurus A (NGC 5128) in 3D

Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is placed in three-dimensional space using catalogue coordinates and an adopted astronomical distance. Rotate and zoom to explore the model. Stellar surfaces, gas structure and dust depths may be reconstructed or illustrative, as described in its facts; this is not live imagery from a telescope.