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Sombrero Galaxy (M104)
spiral galaxy in Virgo
The Sombrero Galaxy has a bright central bulge and a crisp dark dust lane cutting across its edge-on disc, giving it the look of a wide-brimmed hat. It is one of the most distinctive galaxies in the sky and one of the brightest in the Virgo region.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M104
- Type
- spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Size
- 9′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8
- Distance
- about 29 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Mar
- Typical prime months
- Jan to Jun
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image Sombrero Galaxy
- At 9 arcminutes, use 1,200 to 2,000 mm to show the dust lane.
- The bulge is bright, so short exposures blended in protect its detail.
- Dec -11 puts it moderately high for most observers in spring.
Framing: what focal length?
M104 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 11% |
| 2,000 mm | about 22% |
| 3,000 mm | about 33% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M104 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 23° | Stays low |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 33° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 43° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 53° | Workable |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 67° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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