Centaurus A is our closest high- energy galaxy, with an active nucleus that produces tremendous amounts of radio and x-ray radia- tion. The nuclear activity may be fueled by gas falling into a massive black hole at the galaxy’s center. This huge and luminous elliptical galaxy appears to be somewhere between 17,000 and 50,000 light years in diameter, although some pictures show a faint light at its outer limits, suggesting that it may be five times larger than that. 
    One of the most interesting as- pects of Centaurus A is the unusual black belt that stretches across its middle. The belt is a dust lane.  Even though the lane blocks much of the galaxy’s light, Centaurus A is so amazingly luminous that it is still one of the brightest galaxies in