Turbulent Cauldron of Starbirth in Nearby Active Galaxy
Depicts: Centaurus A, NGC 5128, IRAS 13225-4245
Copyright: E.J. Schreier, (STScI) and NASA
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The picture is a mosaic of two Hubble Space Telescope images taken with
the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, on Aug. 1, 1997 and Jan. 10, 1998.
The approximately natural color is assembled from images taken in blue,
green and red light. Details as small as seven light-years across can be
resolved. The blue color is due to the light from extremely hot, newborn
stars. The reddish-yellow color is due in part to hot gas, in part to older
stars in the elliptical galaxy and in part to scattering of blue light by dust
-- the same effect that produces brilliant orange sunsets on Earth.
Last Update: 1 September 2019