#messier 104

The Sombrero Galaxy !

Also known as Messier 104 (M104), the galaxy's hallmark is a brilliant white, bulbous core encircled by the thick dust lanes comprising the spiral structure of the galaxy.

The Sombrero lies at the southern edge of the rich Virgo cluster of galaxies and is one of the most massive objects in that group, equivalent to 800 billion suns.

The galaxy is 50,000 light-years across and is located 28 million light-years from Earth.

2026 May 29

Messier 104

Image Credit: CTIO, NOIRLab, DOE, NSF, AURA;

Image Processing: T. A. Rector (U. Alaska Anchorage), D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF, NOIRLab)

Explanation: A gorgeous spiral galaxy, Messier 104 is famous for its nearly edge-on profile featuring a broad ring of obscuring dust lanes. Seen in silhouette against an extensive central bulge of stars, the swath of cosmic dust lends a broad brimmed hat-like appearance to the galaxy suggesting a more popular moniker, the Sombrero Galaxy. Also known as NGC 4594, the Sombrero galaxy can be seen across the spectrum and is host to a central supermassive black hole. About 50,000 light-years across and 28 million light-years away, M104 is one of the largest galaxies at the southern edge of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Still, the spiky foreground stars in this field of view lie well within our own Milky Way. This broad view of the well-known galaxy was processed to reveal M104's extended halo, as well as a faint tidal stellar stream. It was captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)

NASA Official: Amber Straughn

A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,

NASA Science Activation

Messier 104, nicknamed the Sombrero Galaxy, is a popular target for amateur observing and astronomical research. Its recognizable extended halo, as well as a faint stellar stream, are captured in exquisite detail in this image from the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. The Sombrero galaxy (Messier 104) is a galactic masterpiece that captivates scientists and astronomy enthusiasts alike. Its intricate system of globular star clusters lends insight into stellar populations, and astronomers are intrigued by the supermassive black hole at its center. Its distinctive visual features and relative brightness make it a favorite among amateur astronomers. The fascinating story of its discovery, involving three esteemed astronomers, has earned it a spot on one of the most important lists of deep sky objects. Today, it stands as one of the most iconic galaxies in the night sky. Messier 104 resides approximately 30 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo (see finder chart). Spanning an impressive 50,000 light-years across, it is among the largest objects of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Despite its grandeur, it appears relatively dim in the night sky—just below the threshold of naked-eye visibility, though it can be observed with a small telescope or binoculars.

The Sombrero Galaxy has a unique shape that fascinates amateur Astrophotographers. Part spiral, part elliptical-cloud, but not Lenticular. Astronomers cannot explain why this galaxy is so unusual. Aesthetically, the shroud of dust and the uniform flat-disk shape distract our understanding because we associate these characteristics with sites of industrial development here on earth.

I cropped the image to draw attention to the details visible on the facing edge, and the faint details on the flat upward side.