Alternate Names

NGC 4594, Sombrero Galaxy

Type

Supermassive

Location

In the constellation Virgo

Distance

32 million light-years (9.8 megaparsecs)

Mass

660 million times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter larger than the orbit of Saturn

Discovery Methods

• Measuring the motions of stars

False-color infrared image of the galaxy from Spitzer Space Telescope. The red ring is thick clouds of dust in the outer edges of the spiral galaxy. [R.Kennicut et al/NASA/JPL/SSC]

This document was last modified: April 30, 2012.