A spectacular new image of the galaxy Centaurus A has been captured by astronomers, revealing the bright glow of young stars and dark ripples of dust.

At a distance of just over 11 million light years, Centaurus A is a relatively close neighbour of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Scientists believe a supermassive black hole exists at the galaxy’s centre which pours out vast amounts of radio energy and X-rays.

The multi-wavelength image from the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 – one of the telescope’s most advanced instruments – has revealed details of Centaurus A never seen before.

Features such as the warped shape of its disc of gas and dust hint at a past collision with another galaxy.

Shockwaves from the event caused hydrogen gas to coalesce and sparked intense amounts of star formation, seen in the red patches visible in the image. Centaurus A is bright enough to make it an attractive target for amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere, where it is visible.

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