PIA06007: The Making of a Galactic Parallelogram
 Target Name:  Centaurus A
 Mission:  Spitzer Space Telescope
 Instrument:  IRAC
 Product Size:  1627 x 1227 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  California Institute of Technology 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA06007.tif (4.383 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA06007.jpg (149.7 kB)

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Original Caption Released with Image:

This image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows in unprecedented detail the galaxy Centaurus A's last big meal: a spiral galaxy seemingly twisted into a parallelogram-shaped structure of dust. Spitzer's ability to both see dust and see through it allowed the telescope to peer into the center of Centaurus A and capture this galactic remnant as never before.

An elliptical galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth, Centaurus A is one of the brightest sources of radio waves in the sky. These radio waves indicate the presence of a supermassive black hole, which may be "feeding" off the leftover galactic meal.

A high-speed jet of gas can be seen shooting above the plane of the galaxy (the faint, fuzzy feature pointing from the center toward the upper left). Jets are a common feature of galaxies, and this one is probably receiving an extra boost from the galactic remnant.

Scientists have created a model that explains how such a strangely geometric structure could arise. In this model, a spiral galaxy falls into an elliptical galaxy, becoming warped and twisted in the process. The folds in the warped disc create the parallelogram-shaped illusion.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Addition Date:
2004-06-01