Webb Telescope Captures Beautiful “Sombrero Galaxy”

A new NASA/ESA/CSE James Webb Space Telescope image has been released, showing the Sombrero galaxy. This galaxy is also referred to as M104 or Messier 104 and has a stunning outer ring, and a smooth inner disk within this image.

“Sombrero Galaxy” As Never Seen Before

The new image shows the intricate clumps of dust where there are carbon-containing molecules referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, may indicate young star-forming regions in the galaxy. 

The Sombrero galaxy has not become known for its star formation and the rings produce less than one mass of stars per year. The Milky Way produces roughly double that.

At the centre of the Sombrero galaxy is an active galactic nucleus (or supermassive black hole). This is not a particularly active one, even though it is 9-billion-solar masses.

We also see 2000 clusters of old stars that are held together by the gravity within the system, and it is an ideal option for astronomers who want to understand stars better.

The MIRI image shows varying shapes and colours which astronomers can garner an impressive amount of information from, including their distance. We know that the Sombrero galaxy sits roughly 30 million lightyears from our own Planet and is within the Virgo constellation.

Webb Telescope Helps With Space Observations

The fourth year of science operations for Webb starts in July 2025 and astronomers and scientists are clamoring to apply for observation time. 2,377 proposals were submitted and this meant a request of 78,000 hours of observation time. Of course, this is something that the telescope cannot accommodate but it shows the demand, as proposals look to study distant galaxies as well as exoplanets, stars, and more.

The Webb telescope is the most powerful example ever launched and provides a crucial global example of a working partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Provided by NASA