Also known as:
NGC5128, Centaurus A
Object Type: Galaxy; Central Black Hole; Elliptical; Active Galactic Nucleus; Quasar
"Astronomers obtained an unprecedented look at the nearest example of galactic cannibalism: a massive black hole hidden at the center of a nearby giant galaxy, called Centaurus A, that is feeding on a smaller galaxy in a spectacular collision. Such fireworks were common in the early universe, as galaxies formed and evolved, but are rare today. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows the merged Centaurus A galaxy, officially called NGC 5128, with a dramatic dark lane of dust girdling the galaxy. Blue clusters of newborn stars are clearly resolved, and silhouettes of dust filaments are interspersed with blazing orange-glowing gas. Located only 10 million light-years away, this peculiar-looking galaxy contains the closest active galactic nucleus to Earth and has long been considered an example of an elliptical galaxy disrupted by a recent collision with a smaller companion spiral galaxy..." -- Google Earth
Simulation of NGC5128, Centaurus A
"The Hubble telescope offers a stunning unprecedented close-up view of a turbulent firestorm of star birth along a nearly edge-on dust disk girdling Centaurus A, the nearest active galaxy to Earth. The picture at upper left shows the entire galaxy. The blue outline represents Hubble's field of view. The larger, central picture is Hubble's close-up view of the galaxy. Brilliant clusters of young blue stars lie along the edge of the dark dust lane. Outside the rift the sky is filled with the soft hazy glow of the galaxy's much older resident population of red giant and red dwarf stars." -- http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1998/14
Here is a Google Earth KML file I created with the location and stunning high detailed image of this black hole: NGC5128.kml