JWST's Mid-Infrared Camera Unveils Dusty Heart of Nearby Galaxy Centaurus A

On July 6, 2026, the James Webb Space Telescope captured a detailed mid-infrared view of Centaurus A using its MIRI camera. The picture highlights the galaxy’s obscuring dust lanes and the energetic core that makes it unusually active for a close neighbor. Researchers say the data provide a valuable laboratory for studying the joint evolution of galaxies and their central black holes. Image processing was performed by staff at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the ESA office there. The release underscores JWST’s capability to probe the hidden regions of distant cosmic objects.