NGC 4945 in Centaurus

NGC 4945 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus, appearing nearly edge-on from our perspective. The galaxy is classified as having an active galactic nucleus (AGN), as confirmed by strong emissions in the X-ray and radio wavelengths.
Two features stand out in this galaxy. First, its yellowish coloration. Such a color shift is usually an indication of extinction caused by interstellar dust. In the case of NGC 4945, two extinction effects could be responsible: first, internal extinction within the galaxy itself, which is more pronounced due to its edge-on orientation, and second, extinction caused by dust in our own Milky Way. Deeper images clearly reveal the presence of galactic cirrus, which contributes to the attenuation and reddening of the light. The astrophotographic images available online show significant color variations, suggesting that many astrophotographers are uncertain about the galaxy’s true color or that different post-processing techniques lead to variations in the final appearance.

Another notable feature is the deformation at the galaxy’s edges. Such warp effects can have different causes. They are often the result of gravitational interactions with other galaxies. However, in this case, the absence of visible stellar streams or bridges suggests no recent interactions. An alternative explanation could be the influence of the AGN, which has been observed to produce strong gas outflows and galactic winds. These winds could be responsible for structural changes in the outer regions of the galaxy. Other theories regarding the deformation include dynamic instabilities in the galactic disk or asymmetric star formation, which may affect the outer regions differently.