Image credit: Hubble
The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier 104, Messier 104, or NGC 4594) is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo at a distance of 28 million light years. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.
It has a large, bright nucleus, an unusual central bulge, and a prominent dust band in the galactic disk. From Earth, it is seen edge-on, giving it a hat-like appearance about one-fifth the diameter of the full Moon.
It is an 8th magnitude spiral galaxy of the Sa or Sb type. It is invisible to the naked eye, but easily recognizable with small telescopes.