Galaxy · Lenticular
Sombrero (M104)
Sombrero (M104) is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 31.3 million light-years away. Known for its huge bulge and sharp dust ring.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 31.3 million light-years (9.60 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 94,600 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.21 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 39m 59.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −11° 37′ 23″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.21); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 78° N. South of latitude 78° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 31 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 555.4 billion years.