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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Position and Visibility Tonight

M104

Where is Sombrero Galaxy (M104) right now?

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is located in the constellation Virgo. Although Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is currently 40° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Twilight begins at 18:53 local time. At that moment, Sombrero Galaxy (M104) will be 4° above the horizon toward the south-west.

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) visibility on 2026-08-21

M104 Visible from sunset until late evening

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) rise and set timetable

TimeElevation
Moonrise, 49% illuminated 12:5639°
Sombrero Galaxy (M104) transit13:5041°
Sunset17:5115°
Civil sunset18:2010°
Twilight start18:534°
Sombrero Galaxy (M104) set19:13
Astronomical observing session begins19:27-3°
Moonset22:12-35°
Astronomical observing session ends02:54-60°
Sombrero Galaxy (M104) rise08:23

Track Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Position Throughout the Night

← 21 August 2026 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe Sombrero Galaxy (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 — blue-filter image
Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M104 — red-filter image
Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

M104 — near-infrared image
Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

M104 — composite color image
DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

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

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

Finder Chart for Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

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Object nameSombrero Galaxy (M104)
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
Sombrero Galaxy (M104) coordinates12.66651, -11.62306
Center coordinates12.66651, -11.62306

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

Time13:08
Latitude37.3541
Longitude-121.955
Elevation40°
Azimuth166°
Here you can see the current position of Sombrero Galaxy (M104) on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

Annual motion of Sombrero Galaxy (M104)


Sombrero Galaxy (M104) will become visible again around November 26 after moving far enough from the Sun. Time
DateFri, 21 August 2026
Twilight start19:23
Twilight end02:48
Twilight duration7h 25m
Rise08:23
Set19:09
Elevation at transit41°
Transit time13:46
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 12h 39m 59s", Dec: -11° 37' 23s
Magnitude9
ConstellationVirgo
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Sombrero Galaxy (M104), including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension12.66651°
Declination-11.62306°
Magnitude8.59
ConstellationVirgo
Elevation40°
Azimuth166.5°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.