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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M104

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Observation Details

M104

M104 Daily Motion

M104 will rise at 00:35, during twilight, and will ascend to 65° by the time twilight ends at 05:06.
M104 will be visible until August, 18, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M104 Visibility Timetable on December 21

Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Astrosession begin19:17-75°
Moon Rise, 59.2% illuminated23:21-18°
M104 rise00:35
Astrosession end04:3959°
Civil sunrise05:3271°
Sunrise05:5675°
M104 transit06:3478°
Moon Set11:4113°

Track M104 Position Throughout the Night

← Sat, 21 December 2024 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M104 changing position in the night sky.

M104 - Sombrero Galaxy

The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M104 is known for its bright central bulge and prominent dust lane, giving it the appearance of a sombrero hat.

M104 spans about 50,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 29 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.0, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M104 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M104 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M104 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M104 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M104 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M104

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Object nameM104
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M104 coordinates12.66651, -11.62306
Center coordinates12.66651, -11.62306

M104 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M104

Time15:35
Latitude0
Longitude0
M104 elevation-43°
M104 Azimuth106°
Here you can see the current position of the M104 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M104's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M104

Time
DateSun, 22 December 2024
Twighlight start19:14
Twighlight end04:35
Twighlight duration9h 21m
Rise00:35
Set12:33
Elevation at transit78°
Transit time06:34
Equatorial coordinateRA: 12h 39m 59s", Dec: -11° 37' 23s
Magnitude9
ConstellationVirgo
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M104, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M104 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.