images

Galaxy Centaurus A X-ray jet

by

Nasa/SAO/Novapix

Reference

a-gax51-28004

Date

2006-09-12

Chandra space telescope detects a jet emanating from the NGC 5128 core and numerous point-like X-ray sources, all bathed in diffuse X-rays produced by several-million-degree gas that fills the galaxy. It is believed that most of these sources are X-ray binaries in which a neutron star or stellar-sized black hole is accreting matter from a nearby companion star. The Cen A image was created from Chandra observations taken on December 5, 1999 and May 17, 2000.