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M104: The Sombrero Galaxy's Tidal Streams
NASA ^ | 5 Oct, 2026 | Credit & Copyright Engelbert Vollmer, Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chi

Posted on 10/05/2026 12:27:19 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: A deep image of the Sombrero galaxy reveals surprises. M104 is named the Sombrero galaxy because, on shorter exposures, it looks like a hat. A key defining feature of this huge galaxy is a dark brim of dust that circles the disk galaxy's center. A much longer exposure, however, brings up a hairy past where a bright, hazy halo is revealed that extends well past the central disk and contains many unresolved stars. Surprisingly, in this stellar haze, structures can be seen that include a diagonal ring. These structures and tidal streams provide fresh evidence that M104 had a violent past and is surely the result of collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies. Light takes about 30 million years to reach us from the Sombrero galaxy, which fully spans about 150 thousand light years across. The featured image was taken over seven days in mid-2026 from Namibia.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 10/05/2026 12:27:19 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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2 posted on 10/05/2026 12:27:44 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 31R1O; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; ...
Pinging the APOD list

๐Ÿช ๐ŸŒŸ ๐ŸŒŒ ๐Ÿ”

3 posted on 10/05/2026 12:28:29 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

La Cucaracha! Everybody sing, amigos!.........


4 posted on 10/05/2026 12:29:25 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine โ€“ August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: Red Badger

La Cucaracha! La Cucaracha! Yum, yum so crunchy. We eat them. We are happy. Just like we were ordered.


5 posted on 10/05/2026 12:33:14 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lty-pBSf7fk


6 posted on 10/05/2026 12:37:01 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine โ€“ August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: MtnClimber

Now whole galaxies are culturally appropriating!

7 posted on 10/05/2026 12:37:09 PM PDT by xp38
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To: MtnClimber

Wow.


8 posted on 10/05/2026 1:10:05 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who youโ€™ll know me as )
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To: MtnClimber

9 posted on 10/05/2026 1:10:42 PM PDT by Adder ("A pack of jackasses led by a lion is superior to a pack of lions led by a jackass.โ€ GW.)
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To: Red Badger; SaveFerris; Kenny Bania

Matador Eduardo Corrocchio lives there, I’ve heard.


10 posted on 10/05/2026 1:16:36 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait.)
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To: Larry Lucido

Nice.


11 posted on 10/05/2026 1:21:08 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
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To: xp38

I wonder what the nighttime skies in M104 would look compared to our skies.itโ€™s fun to pick out amongst the stars in Virgo.


12 posted on 10/05/2026 2:09:15 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deumโ€ฆ)
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To: xp38

Nice to think that ring has a multitude of earthlike planets within virtual “walking distance” of each other. As close as we are to Alpha Centauri and maybe even much closer.


13 posted on 10/05/2026 2:25:18 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: MtnClimber

It kind of lookl like uranus?!


14 posted on 10/05/2026 2:59:29 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: MtnClimber
M104 is named the Sombrero galaxy because, on shorter exposures, it looks like a hat.

And it's often seen sitting against a building taking a nap with a bottle of tequila sitting by its side.

15 posted on 10/05/2026 3:12:07 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: Texas Eagle
M104 is named the Sombrero galaxy because, on shorter exposures, it looks like a hat.

jeffries-01


16 posted on 10/05/2026 4:31:13 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: MtnClimber

:)


17 posted on 10/05/2026 5:06:58 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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