Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - 56

MAY 2024 OBSERVING
Suburban Stargazer
12h 40m
M104
Σ1664
Sombrero Galaxy
Σ1659
12h 35m
12h 30m
VIRGO
TT
Σ1604
-12°
12h 25m
12h 20m
12h 15m
12h 10m
-11°
Pointer Triangle
Σ1669
-13°
-14°
4
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
η
CORVUS
Algorab
δ
-17°
γ
Gienah
pCROW ROUTE TO M104 As depicted on our center star map (pages 42 and 43), Corvus the Crow is a small but easily discerned box-shaped constellation.
The scenic star-hop to the Sombrero Galaxy, M104, begins at 3rd-magnitude Delta (δ) Corvi, or Algorab, which marks the box's northeast
corner. From there, proceed to the Pointer Triangle asterism, which, as its name implies, points 2° northeast to the main region of interest.
Heading almost 1° farther northeastward
takes us across the CorvusVirgo
boundary to pick up a reddish
star of magnitude 7.8. This dot plus
three more of magnitudes 8.6, 8.9, and
9.2 form a 3.5-arcminute-long hockey
stick asterism. The quartet are part of
another multiple, Σ1664, most of which
is beyond the range of my equipment.
Indeed, the hockey stick is indistinct at
low magnification, but it sharpens up
at around 100×. Better yet, the shaft
of the stick aims east-southeastward
toward the fragile glow of M104 less
than ½° away. Perfect!
The Sombrero
Employing the refractor, I reduce to 56×
56 MAY 2024 * SKY & TELESCOPE
(with a 16-mm eyepiece) and shift carefully
over to the 8.0-magnitude Sombrero.
It's in the same low-power field as
the hockey stick. Officially measuring
8.6′ × 4.2′, M104 is a compact target -
smaller still in a milky suburban sky.
The refractor operating at 100× (9-mm
eyepiece) delivers a condensed patch
of light noticeably oval along its eastwest
axis. In the 8-inch at 135× (same
eyepiece), the elongated patch looks
bigger and significantly brighter, though
still without the signature dust lane.
My verdict: For scopes in the 'burbs, the
sombrero hat shape simply isn't there.
Oh, to have a country sky!
When I focus my reflector on M104
at a rural site far from home, a magnification
of around 150× produces a
hazy but distinctive spindle, bright in
the middle with pale, tapered ends. The
8-inch also reveals the central segment
of the Sombrero's dark dust lane.
(In truth, the dust lane we perceive
is a buildup of many lanes along the
plane of the galaxy.) I can glimpse the
black thread cutting across the galaxy's
huge hub, a bit south of center. That in
itself is a victory, and there's more. The
south-of-center aspect confirms that
the galaxy is not precisely edge-on -
most of the bulge spreads north of the
dust lane. The wee bit protruding southward
might be the head in the hat!
The " head in the hat " is difficult to
detect, even away from city lights. The
-16°
-15°
Star magnitudes

Sky & Telescope - May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - May 2024

Contents
Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - Cover1
Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - Cover2
Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - 1
Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - Contents
Sky & Telescope - May 2024 - 3
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