Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2026

14 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2026 ASTRO PUBLISHING A ground-based image of near- by galaxy Centaurus A from the Euro- pean Southern Ob- servatory (top left) puts the near-in- frared and mid-in- frared views from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope image into context. [NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, ESO; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)] “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 archaeol- ogy. Each star revealed helps to re- construct 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 evolu- tion. Webb’s capabilities go beyond imaging. By analyzing light with spectroscopy, as- tronomers can meas- ure how gas moves within the galaxy. Early findings from Webb show fast- moving ionized gas flowing outward, likely driven by the black hole’s activity, and warmer molecu- lar hydrogen in a warped rotating disk near the center. 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 for- mation 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. black hole influence it? Is it influ- enced by merger-induced star for- mation? 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. With Webb’s high resolution, as- tronomers can now study Centaurus A star by star, even in its long-ob- scured central region. What looks !