Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Sombrero Galaxy from Hubble

NASA ^ | July 26, 2015 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

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.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI /NASA)]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[Dilbert San Diego]

Isn’t it bigoted to call it the Sombrero galaxy? Just because it resembles a sombrero?? But since certain types of people are associated with sombreros, doesn’t that mean the name has to change? And that the astronomers who came up with such a name need to resign in disgrace???

[Larry Lucido]

Been there. Got the t-shirt.

[blueunicorn6]

“Fifty million year old light”

Gosh, back when Nancy Pelosi was a kid.

[dainbramaged]

One of my favorite Hubble photos.

[Kirkwood]

No.

[GeronL]

sort of looks like a halo but I guess another galaxy already got that name

[SunkenCiv]

It’s an old favorite for the APOD people as well, or at least the galaxy itself is. Can’t say I blame ‘em.

[SunkenCiv]

If it were found today, it’d be named the Aerobee Galaxy.

[SunkenCiv]

whoops.

http://apod.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?tquery=%22Sombrero+Galaxy%22

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, She IS quite photogenic!

Is everyone that lives there two-dimensional? ;)

[SuziQ]

The pictures from Hubble have been incredible! Can’t wait to see what we get from Keppler!

[left that other site]

Ay Carumba! Mi Gusta!

[Rodamala]

[Rodamala]

[left that other site]

Ha Ha Ha!

[Gamecock]

Is it an illegal galaxy?
Perhaps it is associated with Tequila?

[Corky Ramirez]

LOL!