A deep, long-exposure image of the Sombrero Galaxy, catalogued as M104, has revealed faint tidal streams and structural remnants left behind by ancient galactic collisions, according to NASA Science. The image was captured over seven days in mid-2026 from Namibia.
The extended exposure reveals a bright, hazy halo surrounding M104 that contains unresolved stars and complex features, including a diagonal ring. These tidal streams and structures provide fresh evidence that M104 experienced past collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies.
Scale and structure
The Sombrero Galaxy fully spans about 150,000 light-years across. Light from the galaxy takes roughly 30 million years to reach Earth.
On shorter exposures, M104 earned its name because it resembles a hat, featuring a dark brim of dust circling the central disk. The deeper Namibia exposure reveals extended halo structures well beyond that familiar profile.
