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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Spitzer Spies Spectacular Sombrero
Title
Spitzer Spies Spectacular Sombrero
Title
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Description:
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NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes joined forces to create this striking composite image of one of the most popular sights in the universe. Messier 104 is commonly known as the Sombrero galaxy because in visible light, it resembles the broad-brimmed Mexican hat. However, in Spitzer's striking infrared view, the galaxy looks more like a "bull's eye." In Hubble's visible light image (lower left panel), only the near rim of dust can be clearly seen in silhouette. Recent observations using Spitzer's infrared array camera (lower right panel) uncovered the bright, smooth ring of dust circling the galaxy, seen in red. Spitzer's infrared view of the starlight, piercing through the obscuring dust, is easily seen, along with the bulge of stars and an otherwise hidden disk of stars within the dust ring. Spitzer's full view shows the disk is warped, which is often the result of a gravitational encounter with another galaxy, and clumpy areas spotted in the far edges of the ring indicate young star-forming regions. The Sombrero galaxy is located some 28 million light-years away. Viewed from Earth, it is just six degrees south of its equatorial plane. Spitzer detected infrared emission not only from the ring, but from the center of the galaxy too, where there is a huge black hole, believed to be a billion times more massive than our Sun. The Spitzer picture is composed of four images taken at 3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8-micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features. The Hubble Heritage Team took these observations in May-June 2003 with the space telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Images were taken in three filters (red, green, and blue) to yield a natural-color image. The team took six pictures of the galaxy and then stitched them together to create the final composite image. This magnificent galaxy has a diameter that is nearly one-fifth the diameter of the full Moon.
Description
NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes joined forces to create this striking composite image of one of the most popular sights in the universe. Messier 104 is commonly known as the Sombrero galaxy because in visible light, it resembles the broad-brimmed Mexican hat. However, in Spitzer's striking infrared view, the galaxy looks more like a "bull's eye." In Hubble's visible light image (lower left panel), only the near rim of dust can be clearly seen in silhouette. Recent observations using Spitzer's infrared array camera (lower right panel) uncovered the bright, smooth ring of dust circling the galaxy, seen in red. Spitzer's infrared view of the starlight, piercing through the obscuring dust, is easily seen, along with the bulge of stars and an otherwise hidden disk of stars within the dust ring. Spitzer's full view shows the disk is warped, which is often the result of a gravitational encounter with another galaxy, and clumpy areas spotted in the far edges of the ring indicate young star-forming regions. The Sombrero galaxy is located some 28 million light-years away. Viewed from Earth, it is just six degrees south of its equatorial plane. Spitzer detected infrared emission not only from the ring, but from the center of the galaxy too, where there is a huge black hole, believed to be a billion times more massive than our Sun. The Spitzer picture is composed of four images taken at 3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8-micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features. The Hubble Heritage Team took these observations in May-June 2003 with the space telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Images were taken in three filters (red, green, and blue) to yield a natural-color image. The team took six pictures of the galaxy and then stitched them together to create the final composite image. This magnificent galaxy has a diameter that is nearly one-fifth the diameter of the full Moon.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/05/04
Release_Date
2005/05/04
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona), and the SINGS Team; Visible: Hubble Space Telescope/Hubble Heritage Team
Release_Credit
Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona), and the SINGS Team; Visible: Hubble Space Telescope/Hubble Heritage Team
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS team
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS team
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Sombrero Galaxy
Object_name
Sombrero Galaxy
Object name
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Object name:
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M104
Object_name
M104
Object name
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Object name:
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Messier 104
Object_name
Messier 104
Object name
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Object type:
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Edge-on galaxy
Object_type
Edge-on galaxy
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *12h39m59.40s *Dec: *-11d37m23.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *12h39m59.40s *Dec: *-11d37m23.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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8.6 million pc; 28 million light-years
Distance
8.6 million pc; 28 million light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Virgo
Constellation
Virgo
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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9.6 x 5.4 arcmin
Image_scale
9.6 x 5.4 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Robert Kennicutt, Principal Investigator (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Lee Armus (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech), George Bendo (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Daniela Calzetti (Space Telescope Science Institute), John Cannon (MPIA Heidelberg), Daniel Dale (University of Wyoming), Bruce Draine (Princeton University), Charles Engelbracht (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Karl Gordon (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), George Helou (Caltech), David Hollenbach (NASA Ames Research Center), Thomas Jarrett (Caltech), Lisa Kewley (University of Hawaii), Claus Leitherer (Space Telescope Science Institute), Aigen Li (University of Missouri-Columbia), Sangeeta Malhotra (Space Telescope Science Institute), Martin Meyer (Space Telescope Science Institute), Eric Murphy (Yale University), Moire Prescott (University of Arizona), Michael Regan (Space Telescope Science Institute), George Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Marcia Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Helene Roussel (Caltech), John-David Smith (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Michele D. Thornley (Bucknell University, Space Telescope Science Institute), Fabian Walter (MPIA Heidelberg)
Observers
Robert Kennicutt, Principal Investigator (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Lee Armus (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech), George Bendo (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Daniela Calzetti (Space Telescope Science Institute), John Cannon (MPIA Heidelberg), Daniel Dale (University of Wyoming), Bruce Draine (Princeton University), Charles Engelbracht (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Karl Gordon (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), George Helou (Caltech), David Hollenbach (NASA Ames Research Center), Thomas Jarrett (Caltech), Lisa Kewley (University of Hawaii), Claus Leitherer (Space Telescope Science Institute), Aigen Li (University of Missouri-Columbia), Sangeeta Malhotra (Space Telescope Science Institute), Martin Meyer (Space Telescope Science Institute), Eric Murphy (Yale University), Moire Prescott (University of Arizona), Michael Regan (Space Telescope Science Institute), George Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Marcia Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Helene Roussel (Caltech), John-David Smith (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Michele D. Thornley (Bucknell University, Space Telescope Science Institute), Fabian Walter (MPIA Heidelberg)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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10 June 2004, 22 January 2005
Exposure_Date
10 June 2004, 22 January 2005
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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240 sec per sky position
Exposure_Time
240 sec per sky position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 15 deg CW from up
Orientation
North is 15 deg CW from up
Orientation
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note:
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*Combined Spitzer-Hubble view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1682): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STS cI
note
*Combined Spitzer-Hubble view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1682): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STS cI note
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note:
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*Hubble-only view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1681): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/Hubble Space Telescope/Hubble Heritage Team
note
*Hubble-only view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1681): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/Hubble Space Telescope/Hubble Heritage Team note
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note:
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*Spitzer-only view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a3_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1681): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizo
note
*Spitzer-only view* Screen-Resolution (450x252): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-11a3_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (3000x1681): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizo note
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Virgo
facet_what
Virgo
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Moon
facet_what
Moon
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Advanced Camera for Surveys
facet_what
Advanced Camera for Surveys
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Columbia
facet_what
Columbia
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Hawaii
facet_where
Hawaii
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Missouri
facet_where
Missouri
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Wyoming
facet_where
Wyoming
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Sombrero Galaxy
facet_where
Sombrero Galaxy
facet_where
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facet_where:
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M104
facet_where
M104
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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June 2003
facet_when
June 2003
facet_when
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facet_when:
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10 June 2004
facet_when
10 June 2004
facet_when
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facet_when:
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22 January 2005
facet_when
22 January 2005
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2005
facet_when_year
2005
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2005-11a
Image_#
ssc2005-11a
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-11 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-11 a
UID
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