The Galaxy Within Centaurus A
影像提供: J. Keene (SSC/Caltech) et al., JPL, Caltech, NASA
Explanation:
Peering deep inside Centaurus A, the closest active galaxy to Earth, the Spitzer Space Telescope's penetrating infrared cameras recorded this startling vista in February 2004. About 1,000 light-years across, the twisted cosmic dust cloud apparently shaped like a parallelogram is likely the result of a smaller spiral galaxy falling into the giant Centaurus A. The parallelogram lies along the active galaxy's central band of dust and stars visible in more familiar optical images. Astronomers believe that the striking geometric shape represents an approximately edge-on view of the infalling spiral galaxy's disk in the process of being twisted and warped by the interaction. Ultimately, debris from the ill-fated spiral galaxy should provide fuel for the supermassive black hole lurking at the center of Centaurus A.
說明:
在2004年2月，史匹哲太空望遠鏡用高穿透性的紅外光相機，透視半人馬座A這個離我們最近的活躍星系之內部，並記錄了這幅令人驚訝的景象。 影像中這個扭曲的宇宙塵埃雲，大小約有一千光年，外觀很像一個平行四邊形，它很可能是一個小星系掉進半人馬座A後所形成的。 在我們較熟悉的可見光影像裡，半人馬座A有個由塵埃和恆星所組成的中央帶，而這個形狀像平行四邊形的星系，取向恰好和塵埃帶相同。 天文學家相信這個醒目的幾何形狀，代表我們的看見了這個向內掉落螺旋星系的側面，它同時也受到重力的彎折和扭曲。 最後，來自這個難逃噩運螺旋星系的碎片，將成為推動半人馬座A核心超大質量黑洞的燃料。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
