- GALAXIES
- INFRARED WORLD
- INTERACTING GALAXIES
- MILKY WAY
- STAR BIRTH
- STAR DEATH
- GALAXIES
- INFRARED WORLD
- INTERACTING GALAXIES
- MILKY WAY
- STAR BIRTH
- STAR DEATH
Galaxies
Sombrero Galaxy
![As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to infrared light. In visible light: The dust ring is partially hidden in the galaxy's visible-light glow. In infrared light: The galaxy's dust and inner flat disk are clear when viewing infrared.](/assets/sliders/galaxies/sombrero_galaxy/ssc2005-11a2-Vis-6b9e5cd7834a3f65ad52f17242d11a65dddb6bdcbe5819fbbdca1e6b1496100e.jpg)
![As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to infrared light. In visible light: The dust ring is partially hidden in the galaxy's visible-light glow. In infrared light: The galaxy's dust and inner flat disk are clear when viewing infrared.](/assets/sliders/galaxies/sombrero_galaxy/ssc2005-11a1-IR-157c5cb7c6a5ca97bd9977e13b8c349cce41ac9bf495c7e34f3a70b85a5fb4d1.jpg)
Visible:
Default View
Infrared:
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Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero Galaxy has a distinctive ring of dust that circles a smooth bulge of stars. The galaxy's dust and inner flat disk are very clear in the infrared. The Sombrero Galaxy may be a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way, but because of its extremely edge-on orientation, we see it in the flat pancake aspect. Our Milky Way would also have this appearance if viewed from the side angle.
Visible:
The dust ring is partially hidden in the galaxy's visible-light glow.
Infrared:
The galaxy's dust and inner flat disk are clear when viewing infrared.
CREDITS:
Visible: NASA/Hubble Space Telescope/Hubble Heritage Team. Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team.