The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier Object 104, M104 or NGC 4594) is an unbarred spiral galaxy with, 800 billion stars and 50,000 light-years diameter in the constellation Virgo located 29 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the most unusual looking galaxies visible from Earth. Its bright nucleus, large central bulge and spiral arms threaded through with a thick dust lane make it look a little like a hat from Mexico. The dust lane is a ring that circles the bulge of the galaxy, and it is rich with gas, dust, and hydrogen gas. Because it has all the elements needed for star formation, it’s not surprising that astronomers have found many sites of star formation inside. The Sombrero has a central supermassive black hole at its heart. Observations of star motions near the black hole suggest it could have the mass of a billion Suns, perhaps one of the most massive of any black hole found so far at the heart of a galaxy. Indeed, the Sombrero is bolometrically most luminous galaxy in the local universe and also the nearest billion-solar-mass black hole to Earth. The Sombrero Galaxy is a favorite target for well-equipped amateur astronomers. If you have a good dark-sky sight, it can be spotted through binoculars; those with large telescopes can spot the dust lane. The Sombrero is a spring and early summer observing object half-way between the constellations Virgo and Corvus. #astronomy #galaxy #sombrero #messier104 #m104 #ngc4594 #virgo #starformationregion #supermassive #blackhole