The Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo | Hubble & Webb Telescope Views

The Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo | Hubble & Webb Telescope Views

This video compares images of the Sombrero Galaxy, also known as Messier 104 (M104). The first image shows visible light observed by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. The second is in near-infrared light and shows NASA's Webb Space Telescope’s look at the galaxy using Near-Infrared Instrument (NIRCam). The final image shows mid-infrared light observed by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows dust from the galaxy’s outer ring blocking stellar light from stars within the galaxy. In the central region of the galaxy, the roughly 2,000 globular clusters, or collections of hundreds of thousands of old stars held together by gravity.

The Sombrero Galaxy is around 30 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. From Earth, we see this galaxy nearly “edge-on,” or from the side. The Sombrero galaxy has long had a place in astronomical history as an intriguing object. The first written record of this galaxy was noted in 1781, almost 250 years ago, by Pierre Méchain, a French astronomer and surveyor. Méchain was a longtime collaborator of Charles Messier, of the Messier catalog fame.

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Duration: 9 seconds
Release Date: June 3, 2025

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