M 104

OTA: RCOS (12.5” f/8)

Camera: SBIG STXL11002

Observatory: Heaven’s Mirror, Au

EXPOSURES:

Red: 9 x 1200 sec

Blue: 7 x 1200

Green: 6 x 1200

Lum: 10 x 1200

Total exposure ~10.7 hours

Image Width: ~0.25 deg

Processed by Alex Woronow (2019) using PixInsight, Topaz, Skylum, SWT

Messier 104 lies about 30 light-years from us. It is classified variously as an elliptical or spiral galaxy and although only about 30% the size of our Milky Way galaxy, it is one one of the brightest galaxies within 30 Mly of us.

M 104 displays a large central bulge and a prominent dust lane. It also has an extensive brightness well beyond it’s central plane. Infrared studies suggest that M 104 is almost devoid of active star formation, however it appears to have a supermassive black hole at it center, which probably powers the bright, low-ionization emissions from the central region. M 104 also hosts an estimated 2000 globular clusters-10 times more than the estimated number circling the Milky Way.

A somewhat unusual features of M 104 is that it does not seem to belong to a galaxy group. Galaxy groups consist of 50 or fewer gravitationally bound galaxies. (Galaxy clusters contain a greater number of members, and superclusters still more.) Locally, at least 50% of galaxies belong to some galaxy group. Galaxies within a group often merge, eventually becoming a single elliptical galaxy. NGC 6428, an elliptical galaxy, is one of these fossil groups resulting from multiple mergers. Perhaps M 104 is also a fossible group? Zep and Ashman (1992) suggest that globular clusters form from the processes of galaxy mergers. if their hypothesis is correct, it may explain the plethora of globular clusters around M 104 as well as its elliptical-galaxy like extended brightness.

For the record, this image is cropped inside the total extent of the glow of outlying stars above and below the galactic plane. That's why the background is so bright.