NGC 5128 grows in size and brightness the longer you look at it. In the past, I have observed it from a light polluted suburb, just 20 minutes walk from Auckland city. Using a 20cm f6.7 dob., Centaurus A was not spotted right away. Also, not having a finder scope, I used nearby star patterns to locate the area and a wide field view (40mm eyepiece). The dark lane itself was seen first as it was darker than the background sky. After a minute or so, the gaseous nature started to develop and after two minutes it was obvious. Rocking the telescope gently also helped to enhance the view. Sky conditions play a big part in seeing this one from a suburban sky.
Binoculars (7x50) from a darker site will show a small round glow bisected by a dark lane. Large apertures in the 60cm range will draw forth much inner structure in the dark lane, an incredible view. One of my favourites!!
Rich
