Explanation:
Appropriately
famous for its broad ring of obscuring dust and
hat-like appearance, the Sombrero Galaxy (aka
spiral galaxy M104)
is featured in this
unique
composite view
that spans the
electromagnetic spectrum, from three major
space-based observatories.
Exploring the Sombrero's high-energy x-ray emission (blue), the
Chandra
contribution highlights the pervasive,
tenuous, hot gas that extends some 60,000 light-years from
the galaxy's center.
Hubble's optical
view (green) shows the more familiar emission from
the Sombrero's population of stars, seen from a nearly
edge-on
perspective and noticeably bulging at the galaxy's bright core.
The broad ring of dust that blocks light in other bands, glows in the
infrared contribution (red) from the
Spitzer Space Telescope.
The Sombrero Galaxy is about 28 million light-years away, near
the southern edge of the extensive
Virgo
cluster of galaxies.
