半人马座A的中心坐落著一个超大质量黑洞，它在吞噬周围物质的同时喷射出强大的喷流并释放巨大能量，形塑著周围的星系环境。此外，该星系在约20亿年前曾经与另一个星系发生剧烈碰撞，其不寻常的结构与持续进行的恒星形成正是这场合并留下的痕迹。借由韦伯的高解析度观测，科学家得以进行「星系考古」，逐一研究恒星的形成历史，并分析由黑洞活动驱动的高速离子气体流动，探索黑洞如何影响整个星系。
在过去一年的科学运作中，韦伯望远镜还取得了多项重大发现，包括寻找半人马座阿尔法星周围的行星证据、观测引力透镜、绘制天王星的高层大气与极光，以及在早期宇宙中发现超大质量黑洞与极早期的超新星。这些成果不仅展示了韦伯望远镜卓越的性能，也深化了人类对从邻近恒星系统到极早期宇宙演化历史的认识。
Celebrating its fourth anniversary of science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has released stunning new images of the Centaurus A galaxy (also known as NGC 5128). Utilizing its powerful near- and mid-infrared capabilities, Webb successfully pierced through the thick dust lanes obscuring the galaxy's core, revealing a densely packed tapestry of stars and an active, ever-changing structure. Located 11 million light-years away, this relatively close galaxy serves as a vital cosmic laboratory for studying how galaxies and black holes co-evolve.
At the heart of Centaurus A lies a supermassive black hole that actively feeds on surrounding matter, launching powerful jets and releasing immense energy that shapes the surrounding galactic environment. The galaxy also bears the scars of a major collision with another galaxy about two billion years ago, which is evident in its unusual structure and ongoing star formation. Through Webb's high-resolution observations, scientists can conduct "galactic archaeology" to study individual stars and reconstruct the timeline of the galaxy's evolution, while also analyzing the fast-moving gas flows driven by the central black hole. (Key numbers: 20)
During its fourth year of operations, Webb has delivered numerous other groundbreaking discoveries across the cosmos, such as searching for planets around Alpha Centauri, identifying gravitational lenses, mapping Uranus's upper atmosphere and auroras, and detecting early supermassive black holes and the earliest supernova known to date. These achievements not only demonstrate Webb's exceptional capabilities but also deepen our understanding of the universe, spanning from nearby stellar systems to the dawn of cosmic history.