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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Peculiar Elliptical Galaxy Centaurus A
Explanation: What's happened to the center of this galaxy? Dramatic dust lanes run across the center of unusual elliptical galaxy Centaurus A . These dust lanes are so thick they almost completely obscure the galaxy's center in visible light . This is particularly unusual as Cen A 's older stars and oval shape are characteristic of a giant elliptical galaxy , a galaxy type typically low in dark dust. Pictured in this deep image is a complex network of foreground gas and dust, as well as shells of dim stars and a jet projecting to the upper right. Also known as NGC 5128, Cen A is surely the result of a galactic collision where many young dust-creating stars were formed. However, details of the creation of Cen A's unusually active center and iconic central dust lanes are still being researched . Cen A lies only 13 million light years away, making it the closest active galaxy .
Jigsaw Galaxy: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
| Date | March 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit & Copyright: SADR Observatory Team: J-C Dalouzy , P. Bazart, M. Dherbécourt, C. Humbert, G. Leroy, J-P Quéau, H. Talbot, & E. Valin |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |