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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2019 January 3 The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared ImageCredit: R. Kennicutt (Steward Obs.) et al., SSC, JPL, Caltech, NASA Explanation:This floating ring is the size of a galaxy. In fact, it is a galaxy or at least part of one: the photogenic Sombrero Galaxy, one of the largest galaxiesin the nearby Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. The dark band of dust that obscuresthe mid-section of the Sombrero Galaxy in optical light actually glows brightlyin infrared light. The featured image, digitally sharpened, shows the infraredglow, recently recorded by the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope, superposed infalse-color on an existing image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope inoptical light. The Sombrero Galaxy, also known as M104, spans about 50,000light years across and lies 28 million light years away. M104 can be seen witha small telescope in the direction of the constellation Virgo. |
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