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X-ray & Optical Image of NGC 4945
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Name: NGC 4945
Description: Quasars & Active Galaxies
Position (J2000): RA 13h 05m 27.50s | Dec -49° 28' 03.00"
Constellation: Centaurus
Distance Estimate: About 12 million light years
Scale: Image is 3 arcmin across (10,500 light years)
Observation Dates: Jan 27-28, 2000 and May 28-29, 2004
Observation Time: 57 hours 30 min (2 days 9 hours 30 min)
Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ degli Studi Roma Tre/A.Marinucci et al,           Optical: ESO/VLT & NASA/STScI
Release Date: October 28, 2013



Related images:  G0931  G9922a  G9922b  G1007  G1310
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ABOUT THIS IMAGE:

This image provides a view into the central region of a galaxy that is similar in overall appearance to our own Milky Way, but contains a much more active supermassive black hole within the white area near the top. This galaxy, known as NGC 4945, is only about 13 million light years from Earth and is seen edge-on. X-rays from Chandra (blue), which have been overlaid on an optical image from the European Space Observatory, reveal the presence of the supermassive black hole at the center of this galaxy.

Color Code:     X-ray (low energy: Magenta, high energy: Blue); Optical (Red, Green, Blue)