M104, The Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo

 

(Click on image for full size version)

 

Description: This galaxy is viewed within 6 degrees of edge-on, with a pronounced dust lane.  Hints of the spiral nature of this galaxy are visible in the disk area.  North is up in this image.  A small unidentified open spiral galaxy is just visible toward the lower right.
 
Exposure Data: 3/27/2003.  LRGB: 11x10m, 6x7m, 6x7m, 6x10m. RGB binned 2x2.
-20°C, 0.8 arc-sec./pixel.
 
Processing: Acquired via Sequencer with Maxim, reduced, combined, aligned in Mira, Double size and RGB combine in Maxim, L 4xCCDSharp, LRGB in Photoshop.
 
Optical System: 10” Ritchey-Chretien RCOS Truss @ F/9, ST-8E USB NABG/CFW-8A CCD camera, Paramount ME mount. L: AO7 guided, RGB: autoguided.
 
Comments: This target is low to the south over the Tucson city area with an average elevation of 35°.  Star field gradient corrections were applied to the image.  The combined raw FWHM was 3.1 arc-sec. and deconvolved to 2.2 arc-sec.