Centaurus A Galaxy: Chandra X-Ray Point Source Catalog, 246 Sources

NASA HEASARC provides a catalog of 246 X-ray point sources detected in the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) from two Chandra observations in 1999 and 2000. The table includes sources detected above a limiting luminosity of ~2 x 10^36 ergs/s, with 82 sources confirmed in both overlapping observations. This catalog was created in February 2007 based on data from the Chandra ACIS-I array.

Use Cases

• Identify and catalog X-ray point sources based on detection luminosity thresholds mentioned in the description
• Study source variability by comparing detections across the two observation dates
• Cross-match X-ray sources with known foreground stars and globular clusters as noted in the catalog
• Validate and extend previous ROSAT source observations within the same field of view

Strengths

• Contains 246 individually detected point sources with a defined limiting luminosity of ~2 x 10^36 ergs/s
• Includes 82 sources detected in both overlapping observations, providing confirmation
• Identifies 38 sources showing variability and 9 sources associated with known globular clusters
• Data originates from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, a NASA space telescope

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Last updated 2026-03-13 19:36:00.272850; freshness should be verified

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) HEASARC

Collection Method

Observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS-I array, using a wavelet decomposition detection algorithm.

Time Range

Observations from 1999 December 5 and 2000 May 17.

Freshness

Catalog created in February 2007 from observations in 1999-2000; metadata last updated 2026-03-13.

Geography

Centaurus A (NGC 5128), a nearby radio galaxy.