NGC 5128 - Centaurus A - Explored 4th July 2025

From my own front yard under one of Melbourne’s rare crisp, clear, winter skies, I captured this view of Centaurus A. A striking lenticular galaxy around 13 million light-years away. Known for its dramatic dust lane slicing through a luminous elliptical core, Centaurus A is a vivid reminder of cosmic collisions, thought to be the result of a merger between two galaxies. It’s among the closest active galaxies to Earth and home to a powerful radio source. This image was taken with my RC8 telescope during a calm, clear night. Proof that even from a suburban setting, deep space reveals its wonders.

 

Stacked and processed using PixInsight.

 

Equipment Details:

• GSO 8" Carbon Fibre Ritchey Chretien (RC8) Telescope

• Skywatcher NEQ6 Mount

• ZWO ASI533MC Pro Color Camera cooled to -10'c

• Orion ST80 Guide Scope

• ZWO ASI120 Mini Guide Camera

• ZWO ASIAir Pro for Mount Control, Polar Aligning and Image Acquisition.

 

Exposure Details:

• 60 X 180 seconds - Bin 1x1

 

Total Integration Time: 3.0 hours

Done