Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier Object 104, M104[1] or NGC 4594) is a unusual galaxy of unclear classification.[2] It is located in the borders of constellation Virgo and Corvus. It is about 31.1 million light years away[3] from the Milky Way galaxy. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters that stretch out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.[4] It has an isophotal diameter of about 94,900 to 105,000 light years,[5] making it a little bigger in size than the Milky Way.
It has a bright center, an unusually large central area, and a visible dust lane in its outer disk, which is viewed almost sideways. The dark dust lane and the central area give it the look of a sombrero hat (that is how it got its name). Astronomers first thought the halo was small and light, suggesting it was a spiral galaxy; but the Spitzer Space Telescope found that the halo was actually much larger and more massive, suggesting it is a giant elliptical galaxy.[6]
References
change- ↑ "M 104". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
- ↑ "Sombrero galaxy has split personality". Science Daily. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ↑ McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; et al. (2016). "The Distance to M104". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (5): 144. arXiv:1610.03857. Bibcode:2016AJ....152..144M. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/5/144.
- ↑ "The Virgo III Groups". Atlas of the Universe. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- ↑ "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for M104. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ↑ "Famous Sombrero Galaxy Shows Surprising Side". space.com. 25 April 2012.