In today's image, we see Centaurus, an example of an active galaxy. In this galaxy, there are actually two galaxies, a spiral galaxy and an elliptical which are in the process of colliding. The material involved in the collision, along with a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy are responsible for the excess energy being released.

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This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.

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