Seyfert galaxy. Optical image of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4945 (upper centre), an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus. Seyfert galaxies

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Seyfert galaxy. Optical image of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4945 (upper centre), an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus. Seyfert galaxies have an unusually bright nucleus. The nucleus of this galaxy is a Seyfert type 2 nucleus, which does not appear unusually bright at visible wavelengths, but is a powerful emitter of infrared radiation. The power source for a Seyfert nucleus is thought to be a large black hole. The stars Xi 1 Centauri (upper right) and Xi 2 Centauri (lower left) are also seen.

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Size: 3071px × 3071px
Photo credit: © CELESTIAL IMAGE CO./SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 2, 4945, active, astronomy, astrophysics, centauri, centaurus, cosmology, edge-, galactic, galaxy, ngc, nucleus, science, seyfert, space, spiral, type, xi