Asteroids Clusters Comets Concepts Constellations Galaxies Moons Nebulae Planets and Moons Stars Surface Features

Menus

Catalogues

Tools and Links

eSky © copyright
Mark Fisher
1999-2008
Sombrero Galaxy
M104, NGC 4594
Proper Names
  Sombrero Galaxy
Messier Number
  M104
NGC/IC Number
  NGC 4594
Constellation
  Virgo
Right Ascension
  12h 40m 12s
Declination
  -11° 38' 42"
Distance
  c.50,000,000 light years
  c.15,000,000 parsecs
Magnitude
  Apparent: +9.2
Mean Diameter
  Apparent: 6'
  Actual: c.90,000 light years
Hubble Type
  Spiral class a
Optimum Visibility
  April/May
 A bright spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo, especially noted for an obscuring band of dust across its central plane.

Location of the Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero Galaxy falls within the boundaries of the galaxy-rich constellation of Virgo, but only just. It is a mere 4½ arc minutes from Virgo's border with Corvus. 		The Sombrero Galaxy
A view of the Sombrero galaxy, with the dark equatorial band clearly visible.
Indexes
  • Main Index
  • Messier Objects Index
  • NGC Objects Index
  • Galaxies Index
    		•  Related Entries
  • Virgo
    		•