ObserveTheSky › Everything in the sky › The Sombrero Galaxy (M104)
spiral galaxy

What is the Sombrero Galaxy?

Almost edge-on spiral galaxy with a huge bulge and sharp dust lane, giving it a hat-like shape.

Worth knowing about the Sombrero Galaxy

You see the Sombrero Galaxy as it was about 31 million years ago.

Why it stands out
Its central black hole has about 660 million times the Sun’s mass, one of the most massive measured in a nearby galaxy.
How we know: Stars near the centre orbit too fast to be held by ordinary stars and gas alone, revealing an enormous invisible mass.
The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) — A model, seen from the Earth, with north up.
The numbers
Across78,920 light-years
Distance from usabout 31 million light-years
How big it looksabout 8.7 arcminutes — the full Moon is about 30

How anyone knows this

Things like it

The Milky Wayspiral galaxyNaked eyeThe Andromeda Galaxy (M31)spiral galaxyNaked eyeThe Triangulum Galaxy (M33)spiral galaxyBinocularsBode’s Galaxy (M81)spiral galaxyBinocularsThe Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)spiral galaxy150 mm telescopeThe Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)spiral galaxy150 mm telescope

Games it appears in

Show the Sombrero Galaxy in the model🧭 Where is the Sombrero Galaxy?🕒 When can I see the Sombrero Galaxy?📖 How the galaxies fit together🌙 Plan an evening outside