Lying some 30 million light years from our home is the distinctive island universe M104, also known as the Sombrero Galaxy. It is characterized by its pronounced galactic bulge and halo, as well as its distinctive dust band that surrounds the galaxy. Recent studies by the CFHT and the Hubble Telescope have measured the velocity of stars orbiting the core of M104 and confirmed a super-massive black hole at the center of the galaxy. This black hole has a mass equivalent to 1 billion suns and is one of the largest black holes in our cosmic neighborhood.

Image Acquisition info:

Date: April, 2009
Location: Starlodge Observatory
Scope: Planewave CDK 12.5
Camera: SBIG STL 11000
LRGB 110:90:90:90