Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
Also known as Centaurus A · NGC 5128
Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is a radio galaxy with giant jets in the constellation Centaurus, about 12 million light-years (3.8 Mpc) from Earth.
One of the closest active galaxies. Its central black hole drives jets and radio lobes about a million light-years across, which cover a patch of our sky many times the size of the full Moon.
Facts
| Type | Radio galaxy with giant jets (shape S0pec) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Position (J2000) | 13h 25m 27s, −43° 01′ |
| Distance | 12 million light-years (3.8 Mpc) (its light set off about 12.3 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 6.84 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 25.7′ × 17.8′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Studied in | 4,838 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is highest in the sky at midnight in April. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 27° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. To see it you need binoculars.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Centaurus
- Betta Fish Nebula
- Boomerang Nebula
- Mermaid Nebula
- Omega Centauri
- Running Chicken Nebula
- SN 1006
- Southern Crab Nebula
- Thackeray's Globules
Everything in Centaurus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Deep Sky Monitor's own notes · Data sources & credits