M104 on Suburban Backyard Astro Sightshttps://hgastro.github.io/tags/m104/Recent content in M104 on Suburban Backyard Astro SightsHugo -- gohugo.ioenhgastroblog@gmail.comhgastroblog@gmail.comAll images and content on this website © 2025 Howard GramsThu, 30 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000The Sombrero Galaxyhttps://hgastro.github.io/posts/2020-04-30-the-sombrero-galaxy/Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000hgastroblog@gmail.comhttps://hgastro.github.io/posts/2020-04-30-the-sombrero-galaxy/<p>The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as M104) is a lenticular galaxy about 31.1 million light-years) from Earth. The galaxy has a diameter of approximately 30% the size of the Milky Way. It has a bright nucleus, an unusually large central bulge, and a prominent dust lane in its inclined disk. The dark dust lane and the bulge give this galaxy the appearance of a sombrero hat. Its large bulge, its central supermassive black hole, and its dust lane all attract the attention of professional astronomers.</p>