Classics in Centaurus is the topic of Part #2 of our image presentation, where we want to share the results from our astrophotography-trip to the Hacienda Los Andes in Chile.

Omega Centauri or NGC 5139, is a globular star cluster in the constellation of Centaurus. Located at a distance of 16,000 light-years, it is the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way galaxy. Centaurus A or NGC 5128 is a prominent galaxy in the constellation of Centaurus. The center of this galaxy contains a supermassive black hole with a mass equivalent to 55 million solar masses, which ejects a relativistic jet that is responsible for emissions in the X-ray and radio wavelengths. NGC 4945 is a further prominent galaxy in Centaurus.

Abell 3574 is a rarely captured galaxy cluster, which is part of the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster (SCI 128). The denoted distance of Abell 3574 is about 189 million light years. IC 2948 (Running Chicken Nebula) is a bright emission nebula, located in Centaurus near the constellation border to Carina.

In the neighbourhood of IC 2948 one can find the brilliant open star cluster NGC 3766 which is a spectacular group of young stars. Very careful observations of these stars by a group from the Geneva Observatory using the Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile have shown that 36 of the stars are of a new and unknown class of variable stars. The last two images show the constellation Centaurus and it's neighbours.