The Sombrero Galaxy from VLT
Explanation:
Why does the Sombrero Galaxy look like a
hat?
Reasons include the
Sombrero's unusually large and
extended central bulge of stars,
and dark prominent
dust lanes
that appear in a disk that we see nearly
edge-on.
Billions of
old stars
cause the diffuse glow of the extended
central bulge.
Close inspection of the bulge in the
above photograph shows many points of light that are actually
globular clusters.
M104's spectacular dust rings harbor many younger and brighter stars,
and show intricate details astronomers
don't yet fully understand.
The very center of the
Sombrero glows across the
electromagnetic spectrum, and is thought to house a large
black hole.
Fifty million-year-old light from the
Sombrero Galaxy can be seen with a
small telescope towards the
constellation of
Virgo.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
