MSGID: 1:153/757.0 bdaeb768   
   TZUTC: -0800   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                 2024 December 11   
        A galaxy is seen in the center of the image. Faint shells are seen   
       around it. A red-colored jet is seen emanating from the galaxy toward   
           the lower right. Please see the explanation for more detailed   
                                   information.   
      
                     The Shells and Jets of Galaxy Centaurus A   
                             Image Credit: Rolf Olsen   
      
      Explanation: What's the closest active galaxy to planet Earth? That   
      would be Centaurus A, cataloged as NGC 5128, which is only 12 million   
      light-years distant. Forged in a collision of two otherwise normal   
      galaxies, Centaurus A shows several distinctive features including a   
      dark dust lane across its center, outer shells of stars and gas, and   
      jets of particles shooting out from a supermassive black hole at its   
      center. The featured image captures all of these in a composite series   
      of visible light images totaling over 310 hours captured over the past   
      10 years with a homebuilt telescope operating in Auckland, New Zealand.   
      The brightness of Cen A's center from low-energy radio waves to   
      high-energy gamma rays underlies its designation as an active galaxy.   
      
       Astrophysicists: Browse 3,500+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code   
                                      Library   
                          Tomorrow's picture: open space   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
                     NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;   
                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7   
    * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)   
   SEEN-BY: 19/10 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/305 134/100 153/135 143   
   SEEN-BY: 153/148 151 757 6809 7083 7715 218/700 840 221/1 6 360 226/30   
   SEEN-BY: 227/114 229/110 114 206 307 317 400 426 428 664 700 705 240/1120   
   SEEN-BY: 266/512 282/1038 291/111 301/1 113 812 320/219 322/757 335/364   
   SEEN-BY: 341/66 342/200 396/45 460/58 256 1124 633/280 712/848 902/26   
   SEEN-BY: 5020/400 1042 8912 5054/30 5075/35   
   PATH: 153/757 221/6 301/1 460/58 229/426