Structure and Composition

M104 is classified as an unbarred spiral galaxy. Its massive central bulge is thought to contain a supermassive black hole with a mass equivalent to a billion suns. This black hole contributes to the intense brightness of the core, emitting high-energy radiation detectable in X-ray and radio wavelengths.

The galaxy’s prominent dust lane is composed of interstellar dust and gas, which are the building blocks for new star formation. The spiral arms, though less visible, extend beyond the core and brim, hosting clusters of young, hot stars.

Astrophotography Tips

Capturing the beauty of the Sombrero Galaxy through astrophotography requires some planning and the right equipment. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Choose a Dark Sky Location: Light pollution can obscure faint details, so find a location away from city lights. Also the use of light pollution filters make it more easy to shoot from light pollution areas such as big cities! Filters like the Optolong L’Pro Light pollution filter is a great choice to photograph this target. This because it filters out the wavelengths  (i.e. Na 589nm, Hg 435nm and 578nm).
2. Use a Stable Mount: A sturdy equatorial mount will help track the galaxy as it moves across the sky, allowing for longer exposure times. Also using guiding can help taking longer exposures.
3. Opt for a Long Exposure: Longer exposure times help capture more light, revealing the intricate details of M104. Stack multiple exposures to reduce noise and enhance clarity. I took 300 second exposures to get a lot of detail from the galaxy.
4. Apply Proper Calibration: Use dark frames, flat frames, and bias frames to calibrate your images and remove any artifacts. It is almost impossible to get a dust free lens, mirror, filter or sensor. Also nowadays its almost impossible to get sub frames without satellites flying across the image. Therefore taking flat frames is extremely important. More on this in the blog of taking calibration frames and why it is useful!
5. Post-Processing: Use software like Adobe Photoshop or specialized astrophotography tools to enhance the details, adjust contrast, and bring out the galaxy’s structure. For Stacking, Siril or DeepSkyStacker is a great option!