Prime-Focus Tracked Galaxy M104 This image of M104 was shot at an ambient temperature of 65 degrees Farenheit (18.3C). In-camera long-exposure noise reduction was used in this 150-second exposure to reduce the thermal signal from heat in the camera.

M104 is the Sombrero Galaxy in the constellation of Virgo.

The diagonal line is a satellite that passed through the frame during the exposure.

The Sombrero is a 9th magnitude spiral galaxy about 8 x 4 arc minutes in size, with a distinctive dark dust lane that bisects the core.

It was discovered in 1767 by Pierre Mechain. Charles Messier added it to his catalog of non-stellar objects on May 11, 1781. This galaxy was the first found to have a red shift too great for it to be a part of the Milky Way galaxy, making it the first extra-galactic object identified.

M104 harbors a super-massive black hole with a mass of 1 billion suns at its center. It is located about 30 million light years from the Earth.

Image Data

• Lens / Scope: Stellarvue SV70ED ED doublet refractor
• Focal Length: 420mm
• F/stop: f/6
• Exposure: Single 150-second exposure
• Mount: Orion Sirius polar-aligned German-equatorial mount
• Guiding: None
• Camera: Unmodified Canon EOS 1000D (Digital Rebel XS)
• Mode: JPEG
• ISO: 1600
• White Balance: Custom, set on sky background
• In-Camera Noise Reduction: On
• Filter: None
• Temp: 65F
• Start Time: 11:53 p.m.
• Date: April 23, 2009
• Location: Tuckahoe State Park, MD
• Calibration: None
• Processing: Standard in-camera JPEG processing. Color adjusted a bit in post processing.