In new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s centre in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history.
Centaurus A (also known as NGC 5128) is 11 million light-years away from Earth, relatively close in cosmic terms. Yet, unlike most nearby galaxies, it is very active, making it a powerful laboratory for understanding how galaxies and black holes grow and evolve together.
At its core sits a supermassive black hole actively feeding on surrounding material. As it does, the black hole launches powerful jets and releases enormous amounts of energy, shaping the galaxy around it. At the same time, Centaurus A bears the scars of a dramatic past: a major collision with another galaxy roughly two billion years ago. The aftermath of that merger is still visible today in its unusual structure and ongoing star formation.
Visible light observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope could not reveal the central region where dust blocked the view, while NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope revealed large scale structures in the infrared without resolving individual stars. Now, Webb brings both clarity and depth, exposing the galaxy’s inner workings star by star.
Dust, awe
Webb’s mid-infrared vision highlights the galaxy’s rich dust structures, which glow in intricate shapes that surprise and even perplex astronomers. A warped, parallelogram-like band cuts across the galaxy’s centre, while wisps of material stretch outward like cosmic clouds.
An “S” shaped feature, most notable in the image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is also unusual and invites questions that need further study to answer. What created this shape? How does the black hole influence it? Is it influenced by merger-induced star formation?
Many of the glowing red points in the MIRI image are dust-rich stars or stellar nurseries, where aging stars are shedding material back into space or new stars are forming. This dust is the raw ingredient for future generations of stars and planets, making it central to the ongoing life cycle of the galaxy.
Written in its stars
With Webb’s high resolution, astronomers can now study Centaurus A star by star, even in its long-obscured central region. What looks “grainy” in the image from Webb, most obvious in the combined MIRI and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) view, is actually a densely packed field of individual stars, together carrying information about the galaxy’s past.
With Webb’s view of Centaurus A, it becomes a case of galactic archaeology. Each star revealed helps to reconstruct when different events happened: when older stars first formed, when activity slowed down, a burst of star formation during the collision, and stars born from gas stirred in its aftermath. Together, they form a timeline of the galaxy’s evolution.
Dynamic black hole
Webb’s capabilities go beyond imaging. By analysing light with spectroscopy, astronomers can measure how gas moves within the galaxy.
Early findings from Webb show fast-moving ionised gas flowing outward, likely driven by the black hole’s activity, and warmer molecular hydrogen in a warped rotating disk near the centre. These observations help explore one of astronomy’s biggest questions: How does a black hole influence an entire galaxy?
The answer appears to be complex. The black hole can trigger star formation by compressing gas, but also limit it by pushing material away. Centaurus A offers a rare, nearby view of this cosmic interplay.
By tracing dust in never-before-seen detail, resolving millions of stars, and revealing the motion of gas near a supermassive black hole, Webb transforms Centaurus A into a vivid record of cosmic history.
Another incredible year of science and imagery
The fourth year of Webb’s science operations has delivered further groundbreaking science and discoveries from places across the Universe. Astronomers found new evidence for a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, just four light-years away from our Sun. Webb showcased eight spectacular gravitational lenses out of an in-depth survey that identified hundreds of candidates. By looking into the cradles of star clusters in nearby galaxies, scientists found that more massive clusters emerge faster; meanwhile in our own Solar System, Webb mapped the upper atmosphere and auroras of Uranus.
In the early Universe, Webb revealed a black hole that formed before its galaxy did, providing new evidence for how supermassive black holes originated, and identified a supernova occurring just 730 million years after the Big Bang — the earliest to date. Researchers presented the strongest evidence yet that some of the “little red dots” discovered by Webb in 2022 are in fact "black hole stars". Webb also took a fresh look at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, resulting in a new view that reveals thousands of distant galaxies dating back to the earliest periods of cosmic history.
Among the unique images produced by Webb over the last year were the gossamer nebulae around a planet-forming disc, intricate details in the edge of the Helix Nebula, the complex heart of a cosmic butterfly and young stars across every stage of formation. Webb highlighted a beacon of light in the swirls of galaxy Messier 77, and details of the stellar lifecycle in galaxy NGC 5134. Webb and Hubble also joined forces to share the most comprehensive view of Saturn to date, showing layers and storms in its atmosphere.
More information
Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A (MIRI image)
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system. Webb’s infrared vision pierces thick lanes of dust that obscure much of the galaxy in visible light, unveiling intricate filaments, loops, and glowing clouds of warm dust stretching across its centre. At the heart of the galaxy, an actively feeding supermassive black hole shines brightly, surrounded by complex structures sculpted by a past galactic collision and ongoing activity.
[Image description: A horizontal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches across a black background filled with thousands of tiny purple, pink, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre, where a brilliant white and pale pink glow radiates outward. Eight diffraction spikes extend from the central glow. Delicate loops and wispy ribbons of pink and lavender arc above and below the centre of the image in the shape of an ‘S’. A band of gray and white dust in the shape of a parallelogram cuts across the middle of the galaxy. Mottled patches and bright knots are scattered throughout the dusty band. The galaxy’s outer edges fade into soft, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch toward the left and right sides of the image. Against the surrounding darkness, a few bright foreground stars shine with Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes, while countless fainter stars create a speckled backdrop.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A (MIRI + NIRCam image)
This combined view of Centaurus A from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope pairs observations from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Webb’s infrared vision exposes a warped disk of gas and dust left behind by a collision with another galaxy billions of years ago.
What may first appear as a grainy glow is actually a dense field of millions of individually resolved stars. By distinguishing different generations of stars embedded throughout the dusty centre, Webb gives astronomers new clues to the galaxy’s history and the processes that continue to shape it.
[Image description: A diagonal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a deep black background filled with countless tiny orange, blue, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre with a white glowing core. A broad band of golden-orange dust cuts across the middle of the galaxy, forming a distinctive parallelogram shape. The dust in this feature is richly textured, with mottled patches, bright knots, and intricate filaments throughout. Just above the centre, delicate peach-coloured ribbons trace an S-shaped structure. Rather than appearing smooth, the galaxy has a finely speckled texture created by millions of individually resolved stars, which fill the central regions and extend into the surrounding glow. The galaxy’s outer edges dissolve into diffuse, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch beyond the dust lane. Against the surrounding darkness, several bright foreground stars display Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A: ground-based context
This ground-based image of nearby galaxy Centaurus A from the European Southern Observatory (top left) puts the near-infrared and mid-infrared views from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope image into context.
[Image description: A three-panel comparison shows different views of galaxy Centaurus A. The upper left panel is a visible-light image of the full galaxy surrounded by a black sky filled with white, blue, and yellow stars. Centaurus A has a dark dust lane crossing a bright centre. A white outlined box marks the region observed by Webb. The upper right panel zooms into that outlined region with a combined near- and mid-infrared view from Webb. The galaxy is oriented diagonally, with a bright white core surrounded by an orange glow. A broad band of golden-orange dust forms a parallelogram across the centre, countless tiny stars create a fine speckled texture throughout the image. A dashed outline indicates the smaller region shown below, Webb’s mid-infrared view. The galaxy stretches horizontally across a black background scattered with purple and white stars, the parallelogram glows white. Wispy clouds and looping pink structures surround the centre. The galaxy’s edges fade into soft, feathery plumes.]
Credit:
ESO, NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, ESO; Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)
Centaurus A (MIRI + NIRCam image wide-field view)
This combined view of Centaurus A from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope pairs observations from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Webb’s infrared vision exposes a warped disk of gas and dust left behind by a collision with another galaxy billions of years ago.
What may first appear as a grainy glow is actually a dense field of millions of individually resolved stars. By distinguishing different generations of stars embedded throughout the dusty centre, Webb gives astronomers new clues to the galaxy’s history and the processes that continue to shape it.
[Image description: A diagonal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a deep black background filled with countless tiny orange, blue, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre with a white glowing core. A broad band of golden-orange dust cuts across the middle of the galaxy, forming a distinctive parallelogram shape. The dust in this feature is richly textured, with mottled patches, bright knots, and intricate filaments throughout. Just above the centre, delicate peach-coloured ribbons trace an S-shaped structure. Rather than appearing smooth, the galaxy has a finely speckled texture created by millions of individually resolved stars, which fill the central regions and extend into the surrounding glow. The galaxy’s outer edges dissolve into diffuse, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch beyond the dust lane. Against the surrounding darkness, several bright foreground stars display Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A (NIRCam image)
This view of Centaurus A from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope if from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) Webb’s infrared vision exposes a warped disk of gas and dust left behind by a collision with another galaxy billions of years ago.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A (annotated MIRI image)
Annotated image of the active galaxy Centaurus A captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), with compass arrows, a scale bar, and colour key for reference.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
The scale bar is labeled in light-years.
This image shows invisible mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colours. The colour key shows which MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The colour of each filter name is the visible light colour used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.
[Image description: Annotated image of galaxy Centaurus A captured by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), with compass arrows, a scale bar, and colour key for reference. A horizontal image of the galaxy stretches across a black background filled with thousands of tiny purple, pink, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre. Delicate loops and ribbons of pink and lavender arc above and below the centre of the image in the shape of an ‘S’. A band of gray and white dust in the shape of a parallelogram cuts across the middle of the galaxy. The galaxy’s outer edges fade into soft plumes with feathery textures that stretch toward the left and right sides of the image. Below the image is a colour key showing which of Webb’s MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light colour is assigned to each filter. From left to right: F560W is blue; F770W is green; and F1000W is red.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
Centaurus A (annotated NIRCam + MIRI image)
Annotated image of the active galaxy Centaurus A captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), with compass arrows, a scale bar, and colour key for reference.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
The scale bar is labeled in light-years.
This image shows invisible near- and mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colours. The colour key shows which NIRCam and MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The colour of each filter name is the visible light colour used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.
[Image description: Annotated image of galaxy Centaurus A captured by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), with compass arrows, a scale bar, and colour key for reference. A diagonal image of the galaxy stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a deep black background filled with tiny orange, blue, and white points of light. A band of golden-orange dust cuts across the middle of the galaxy, forming a distinctive parallelogram shape. Just above the centre, peach-coloured ribbons trace an S-shaped structure. The galaxy’s outer edges are reddish-orange. Below the image is a colour key showing which of Webb’s filters were used to create the image and the visible-light colour assigned. NIRCam filters, from left to right: F090W is blue, F187N is blue, F200W is cyan, F277W is yellow, F335M is orange, F444W is red. MIRI filters, from left to right: F560 is yellow, F770W is orange, F1000W is red.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
VIDEOS
Pan video: Centaurus A
This video highlights new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary: a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s centre in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Music: Stellardrone - Twilight
Zoom video: Centaurus A
This video takes the viewer on a journey through space to reveal a new image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to celebrate its fourth anniversary of science.
The video reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system. Webb’s infrared vision pierces thick lanes of dust that obscure much of the galaxy in visible light, unveiling intricate filaments, loops, and glowing clouds of warm dust stretching across its centre. At the heart of the galaxy, an actively feeding supermassive black hole shines brightly, surrounded by complex structures sculpted by a past galactic collision and ongoing activity.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Music: Stellardrone - The Night Sky in Motion
Transition video: Centaurus A
In new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s centre in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history.
This video shows three new views of Centaurus A as seen by Webb.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Music: Zoom - Tonelabs – The Red North (www.tonelabs.com)
Space Sparks Episode 28: Webb celebrates its fourth year of science
This Space Sparks episode showcases new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary.
Credit:
Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Web and technical support: Enciso Systems
Written by: Bethany Downer
Music: Stellardrone - The Belt of Orion
Footage and photos: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. A. Pagan (STScI), J. Depasquale (STScI), M. Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Space Sparks Episode 29: Highlights from Webb’s fourth year of science
This Space Sparks episode highlights science results from Webb's 4th year of science operations.
Credit:
Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Web and technical support: Enciso Systems
Written by: Kerry Hensley
Music: Noizefield - Expect The Unexpected
Footage and photos: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), Y. Cheng (NAOJ), J. DePasquale (STScI), G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco, G. Rihtaršič (University of Ljubljana, FMF), R. Tripodi (University of Ljubljana, FMF), A. Levan (IMAPP), R. Naidu (MIT), P. Tiranti, H. Melin, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), A. Leroy, A. Pedrini, A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the FEAST JWST team, L. Furtak (Ben-Gurion University), R. Maiolino (Cambridge), F. D'Eugenio (Cambridge), I. Juodžbalis (Cambridge), H. Übler (MPE), C. Marconcini (University of Florence)
Space Sparks Episode 30: Webb’s fourth year in images
This Space Sparks episode highlights images from Webb's 4th year of science operations.
Credit:
Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Web and technical support: Enciso Systems
Written by: Kerry Hensley
Music: Stellardrone - Ascent
Footage and photos: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), G. Östlin, P. G. Perez-Gonzalez, J. Melinder, the JADES Collaboration, the MIDIS collaboration, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), M. Villenave et al., J. H. Kastner (Rochester Institute of Technology), A. Adamo (Stockholm University), G. Bortolini, and the FEAST JWST team, Almendros-Abad, M. Guarcello, K. Monsch, and the EWOCS team, C. Willott (National Research Council Canada), R. Tripodi (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Rome), A. Leroy, T. Megeath
Fuente: ESA/Hubble/Webb Information Centre
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