SIMBAD references

We present the results of Hubble Space Telescope observations of the nucleus of the narrow-line radio galaxy PKS 2158-380. Faint Object Camera images (taken before the December 1993 servicing mission) in bands centered near 3720A and 3420A show complex nuclear structure. The nucleus consists of three well resolved components of sizes ∼0.3" (∼0.28kpc, assuming H₀=50km/s/Mpc), strung over ∼1.5" (∼1.4kpc), exhibiting emission line gas. The components lie within ∼1^'' (∼0.97 kpc) of the centre of the galaxy as derived from the stellar distribution, but none lies at the very centre. There is no evidence for a central unresolved point source at the galactic nucleus. UV band images taken near 1400A also show some of this nuclear structure, but very weakly. There is no evidence for a nuclear UV continuum point source, contrary to suggestions made based on ground based data. The data are discussed in relation to the large-scale properties of the emission line gas and radio structure of PKS 2158-380.