March 20, 2013 Omega Centauri, a globular cluster in Centaurus Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler Omega Centauri (also known as NGC 5139) is a globular cluster of approximately 172 light-years across, located about 15,800 light-years away from Earth in the large, southern constellation of Centaurus (the Centaur). The cluster is estimated to be [continue reading]
January 5, 2014 G292.0+1.8, a supernova remnant in Centaurus Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/S.Park et al.; Optical: Pal.Obs. DSS G292.0+1.8 (SNR G292.0+1.8) is the rapidly expanding remnant of a supernova that exploded about 1,600 years ago. It is located within our Milky Way, at a distance of approximately 20,000 light-years away from the Earth in [continue reading]
December 4, 2013 NGC 5307, a planetary nebula in Centaurus Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) NGC 5307 is a planetary nebula of approximately 0.6 light-year across that lies within our Milky Way galaxy, somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 light-years away from the Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus (the [continue reading]
August 11, 2013 Supernova remnant RCW 86 or SN 185 Image Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/CXC/SAO RCW 86 (also known as SN 185) is a supernova remnant of some 85 light-years across, located about 9,100 light-years away from Earth between the southern constellations of Circinus (the Compass) and Centaurus (the Centaur), near the direction of Alpha Centauri. It is most [continue reading]
August 2, 2013 NGC 4945, a barred spiral galaxy in Centaurus Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler (http://www.robgendlerastropics.com) NGC 4945 is a barred spiral galaxy of some 80,000 across, located about 11,7 million light-years away in the southern constellation of Centaurus (the Centaur), while it is receding from us at approximately 563 kilometers per second. [continue reading]
July 20, 2013 G306.3-0.9, a supernova remnant in Centaurus Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Michigan/M. Reynolds et al; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Radio: CSIRO/ATNF/ATCA G306.3-0.9 (named after the coordinates of its sky position) is a faint supernova remnant of about 25 light-years across, located some 26,000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus. The explosion’s [continue reading]