Record dimensions
- Morphology
- spiral
- Viewing geometry
- nearly edge-on
- Environment
- not modeled in this release
- Scale cue
- large galaxy
- Activity note
- central massive black hole discussed by NASA
Field Atlas example · spiral
M104 · Sombrero Galaxy
A nearly edge-on spiral whose dust lane and bright bulge demonstrate how orientation can hide arm geometry and make a galaxy look unlike a face-on spiral.
Representation boundary
The familiar “hat” silhouette is strongly produced by viewing geometry.
This record avoids inferring hidden physical properties solely from the visual class.
Source-backed facts
What this release is willing to state.
These are intentionally compact. The linked institutional source remains the authority for fuller context.
- sourced NASA lists M104 at about 28 million light-years away.
- sourced NASA classifies it as a spiral galaxy viewed nearly edge-on.
- sourced A thick dust lane encircles the bright central region in Hubble imagery.
GX-SRC-010
Messier 104 (The Sombrero Galaxy)NASA Science / Hubble
checked 2026-09-15