Regarded as one of the most majestic of all of the galaxies in the Universe is the Sombrero, 28 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. This spiral galaxy’s notable features are its thick, torus-like disc with a dark, duty rim and the intense, bulbous, white glow that emanates from its core.
In fact, the glow almost overwhelms the entire galaxy. It is usually what you would find in a large elliptical galaxy rather than a spiral. Studies by astronomers also show the Sombrero has a supermassive black hole of a billion solar masses – much more massive than is usual for a spiral galaxy. Image: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).
Hubble: The Universe Revealed
Astronomy Now celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope – the greatest telescope history has ever seen – with a selection of truly out- of-this-world imagery. This 116-page special issue is filled with superb pictures of glowing star-forming nebulae, the beautiful death throes of stars, gracefully spiralling galaxies, our nearest neighbours in the Solar System and the most distant look into the Universe ever taken. Order your copy of Hubble: The Universe Revealed today. Also available in WHSmith.
