M104, the Sombrero Galaxy, is a nearly edge-on spiral galaxy in Virgo with a bright central bulge and a prominent dark dust lane.
What It Is
A nearly edge-on spiral galaxy with a bright central bulge and a prominent dark dust lane that gives it its sombrero shape.
History
Not formally included in the original Messier catalog - it was added later (1921) after being linked to Mechain's notes.
Science Notes
- Contains about 2,000 globular clusters (far more than the Milky Way).
- Has a supermassive black hole at its center.
- Its bright core and dark lane make it one of the most visually distinctive galaxies in the sky.
- age
- Mixed populations; globular clusters ~10-13 billion years
- distance
- ~28-31 million light-years (~165-180 quintillion miles)
- width
- ~45,000-55,000 light-years (~260-320 quadrillion miles)
