Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is the nearest giant galaxy, at a distance of about 13 million light-years. It is located outside the Local Group of Galaxies to which our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and its satellite galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, belong.
- Where is the Centaurus constellation located?
- How far is Centaurus A from the Milky Way?
- What galaxy is the constellation Centaurus in?
- Where can you see Centaurus?
- Is Centaurus visible from the UK?
- Is Centaurus Sagittarius?
- Is Centaurus A black hole?
- Is Centaurus A bigger than the Milky Way?
- Is Centaurus A an active galaxy?
Where is the Centaurus constellation located?
southern sky Centaurus, (Latin: “Centaur”) constellation in the southern sky, at about 13 hours right ascension and 40° south in declination. The two brightest stars in this constellation, Alpha and Beta Centauri, are the 4th and 11th brightest stars in the sky, respectively.
How far is Centaurus A from the Milky Way?
13.05 million light yearsCentaurus A / Distance to Earth
What galaxy is the constellation Centaurus in?
Centaurus A is located at the centre of the Centaurus A subgroup of the Centaurus A/M83 Group of galaxies. Messier 83 (M83), better known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, located in the constellation Hydra, is at the centre of the other subgroup.
Where can you see Centaurus?
The constellation Centaurus, the centaur, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is visible at latitudes between 25 degrees and -90 degrees. It is a large constellation that covers an area of 1,060 square degrees. This makes it the ninth largest constellation in the night sky.
Is Centaurus visible from the UK?
The Position of the Centaurus Star Constellation But do not worry if you are in the UK, there are still times you can see the Centaurus constellation because it can be seen between latitudes of +25 and -90 degrees. The size of Centaurus makes it one of the top 10 largest modern constellations.
Is Centaurus Sagittarius?
In Greek mythology, Centaurus represents a centaur; a creature that is half human, half horse (another constellation named after a centaur is one from the zodiac: Sagittarius).
Is Centaurus A black hole?
Centaurus A is a giant elliptical active galaxy 12 million light-years away. At its heart lies a black hole with a mass of 55 million suns. This composite image shows the galaxy and the surrounding intergalactic space at several different wavelengths.
Is Centaurus A bigger than the Milky Way?
Centaurus A has a radius of approximately 48,500 light years. This means that it's a similar size to our galaxy, the Milky Way, and around 50% larger than the first galaxy to be determined as spiral, the Whirlpool galaxy.
Is Centaurus A an active galaxy?
Centaurus A is the fifth brightest galaxy in the sky — making it an ideal target for amateur astronomers — and is famous for the dust lane across its middle and a giant jet blasting away from the supermassive black hole at its center. Cen A is an active galaxy about 12 million light years from Earth.