Spiral Galaxy M-104 ( NGC 4594)
aka "The Sombrero Galaxy"

Quote from Burnham's Celestial Handbook:

"This is the well known "Dark Lane" or "Sombrero" galaxy, discovered by P. Mechain in May 1781, and added by Messier to his copy of the Connaissance des Tenps (1784); consequently it has been added in many modern observing guides to the original Messier list, and given the number M-104".

M-104 (NGC 4594) is probably a part of the Coma/Virgo galaxy cluster. It has a bright bulging main mass with a nearly stellar nucleus, and a well defined dark lane traversing the equatorial plane. The dimmer fuzzy "stars" near M-104 in the Koopernik image above are probably some the galaxy's globular star clusters. The Sombrero galaxy has in its nucleus both a very compact and strong nonthermal radio source and a strong X-ray source. It belongs to the class of galaxies with active nuclei known as Seyfert galaxies. (see also M-77)

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• M-104, NGC 4594
• Magnitude: 8.6
• Constellation: Virgo
• RA: 12h 39m 59.3s
• Dec: -11° 37' 22" Epoch 2000
• Size (mins): 8.7' x 3.5'
• Classification: SA(s)a sy2
                          Spiral, S-shaped, Seyfert Type II
  
  

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George Normandin, KAS

June 30th, 2001