Centaurus A, also known as NGC 5128, is best known for its dusty lanes of dark material, but this newest image of the galaxy by Hubble also showcases its massive high-speed jets. Technically speaking, what you’re seeing is a tidal disruption event, which occurs when a star gets too close to a black hole causing the gravitational tides to rip away the stars gaseous matter.
This gaseous matter then swirls into a disc around the black hole, all the while the gas particles shoot out from opposite ends at the speed of light also called high-speed jets. If you look closer, a haze of reddish gas surrounding the beams of light at opposite ends can be seen, which illuminates the entire formation is.
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The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Using NASA Hubble astronomers were able to observe the connection between supermassive black holes with tidal disruption and the merging of galaxies,” said NASA..
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