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

A ground-based view shows why the Sombrero Galaxy got its nickname. [Morris Wade/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF]

This document was last modified: April 30, 2012.