We present the results of stellar photometry in eight fields of NGC 5128 (Cen A), a candidate polar-ring galaxy, obtained by reducing images from the Hubble Space Telescope archive. In all cases, the color-magnitude diagrams reached the red-giant region, and the distance to the galaxy was determined from the position of the tip of the red-giant branch (4.1 Mpc), in agreement with previous estimates. Comparison of the diagrams with theoretical isochrones indicates that the red supergiants in the dark lane region are metal-rich, which is atypical of the polar rings. Our results are consistent with the assumption made by several authors that the absorption of a less massive spiral galaxy by a more massive one is observed in NGC 5128.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)236-243
JournalAstronomy Letters
Volume32
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006

    Research areas

  • PACS numbers 98.54.Cm - 98.62.Ai - 98.62.Lv

ID: 37474750