The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier Object 104, M104 or NGC 4594) is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo found 9.55 Mpc (31,100,000 ly) from Earth.
The galaxy has a diameter of approximately 15kpc (50,000 light-years),30% the size of the Milky Way. It has a bright nucleus, an unusually large central bulge, and a prominent
dust lane in its inclined disk. The dark dust lane and the bulge give this galaxy the appearance of a sombrero hat. Astronomers initially thought that the halo was small and light, indicative of a spiral galaxy, but the Spitzer Space Telescope found that the dust ring around the Sombrero Galaxy is larger and more massive than previously thought, indicative of a giant elliptical galaxy. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of +8.0, making it easily visible with amateur telescopes, and it is considered by some authors to be the galaxy with the highest absolute magnitude within a radius of 10 megaparsecs of the Milky Way. Its large bulge, its central supermassive black hole, and its dust lane all attract the attention of professional astronomers.
Notes:- The focal length of my telescope is certainly not great for galaxies. I am however pleased with the outcome here.
Gear Used:- Camera=ZWO ASI1600-mono-cooled
Filters= Astrodon Red, Green and Blue
Scope=Skywatcher Esprit 100 refractor
Mount=Skywatcher EQ6 with Rowan conversion
Focuser=MyFocusserPro2
Guide Camera=Lodestar x 2
OAG=ZWO
Filter wheel=ZWO
Software Used:-
Collecting Data=Sequence Generator Pro with PHD2 and EQMOD
Stacking Data=Astropixelprocessor
Post Processing=Astropixelprocessor and RawTherapee
