Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

M104: The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 11, 2026 is “M104: The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Caltech , SSC , R. Kennicutt ( Steward Obs. ) et al.,. The original explanation runs about 141 words.

A red-tinged ring of dust is seen nearly on edge. In the ring's center and extending around the frame, blue gas and stars are shown. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Caltech , SSC , R. Kennicutt ( Steward Obs. ) et al., Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“This floating ring is the size of a galaxy. In fact, it is a galaxy — or at least part of one: the photogenic Sombrero Galaxy , one of the largest galaxies in the nearby Virgo Cluster of Galaxies .”

— APOD editors, January 11, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 11, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL , Caltech , SSC , R. Kennicutt ( Steward Obs. ) et al.,
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 141 words

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Topics in this entry

Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 11 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.