Dusty Star Field

Messier 104 The Sombrero Galaxy in the Constellation Virgo Credit: COAST Robotic Telescope BVR filters -telescope.org - Open University and Pip Stakkert

" Messier 104 is a lenticular galaxy which is seen edge on as viewed from the Earth. It is so named because with it's prominent dust ring and large central bulge it resembles the 'Mexican Hat'. M 104 is about one third the size of our Milky Way and at it's centre there is a super massive black hole. The black hole's mass estimated by analysis of the speed of revolution of stars in the central bulge is calculated to be equivalent to 1 billion times that of our Sun. The Sombrero Galaxy is approximately 30 million light years distant and has a diameter of 50,000 light years. The central dust lane is particularly striking through the eyepiece of even quite modest telescopes as the dark dust is seen against the exceptionally bright central bulge. Messier 104 has a large number of attendant globular star clusters. From the observation of many galaxies, astronomers have concluded that the number of globular star clusters is related to the size of the central galactic bulge.  In the 'Spitzer Telescope Infra Red' image of Messier 104 the dust lane (shown pink) can be seen to encircle the central bulge, in addition to dust this ring contains cold atomic hydrogen gas. The ring is a primary site for star creation within the galaxy." - Archie Mendes - visiting theoretical astronomer at the Jodrell Plank Observatory 

"The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff" - Carl Sagan

By NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team - http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1425-ssc2005-11a3-Spitzer-Spies-Spectacular-Sombrero, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57775432