솜브레로 은하(Sombrero Galaxy, M104)

 

 

 

 

허블우주 망원경이 메시에 104번째 천체이며, 가장 장엄하고 유명한 은하중 하나인 솜브레로 은하에 레이저 초점을 맞추는 훈련을 했다.

이 은하를 특징짓는 요소는 은하의 나선구조를 구성하고 있는 두꺼운 먼지팔과 여기에 둘러싸인 매우 환하게 빛나는 구체 핵이다.

지구에서 바라보는 각도에서 이 은하는 거의 모서리를 보여주고 있다.
우리가 보는 각도는 이 은하평면의 적도면에서 북쪽으로 약 6도 정도 기울어져 있다.

이 찬란한 은하의 이름은 솜브레로(Sombrero)로 명명되었는데 넓은 챙과 맥고모자 형태의 멕시코 전통모자인 솜브레로를 빼닮았기 때문이다.

이 은하의 상대 밝기 등급은 8등급으로 육안으로 관측가능한 한계를 약간 벗어나고 있어 소규모의 망원경으로도 쉽게 관측할 수 있다.

솜브레로 은하는 처녀자리 은하단의 남쪽 끝부분에 자리잡고 있으며 이 은하단에서 가장 무거운 질량을 가진 천체 중 하나로서 그 질량은 태양의 8천억 배에 달한다.

이 은하의 너비는 5만 광년이며 지구로부터 2천 8백만 광년 떨어져 있다.

 

 

출처 : The European Homepage for The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/html/opo0328a.html

 

 

 

원문>

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has trained its razor-sharp eye on one of the universe's most stately and photogenic galaxies, the Sombrero galaxy, Messier 104 (M104). The galaxy's hallmark is a brilliant white, bulbous core encircled by the thick dust lanes comprising the spiral structure of the galaxy. As seen from Earth, the galaxy is tilted nearly edge-on. We view it from just six degrees north of its equatorial plane. This brilliant galaxy was named the Sombrero because of its resemblance to the broad rim and high-topped Mexican hat.

At a relatively bright magnitude of +8, M104 is just beyond the limit of naked-eye visibility and is easily seen through small telescopes. The Sombrero lies at the southern edge of the rich Virgo cluster of galaxies and is one of the most massive objects in that group, equivalent to 800 billion suns. The galaxy is 50,000 light-years across and is located 28 million light-years from Earth.

 

Credit: NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA)