The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier Object 104, M104 or NGC 4594) is a unusual galaxy of unclear classification. It is located in the borders of constellation Virgo and Corvus. It is about 31.1 million light years away from the Milky Way galaxy. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters that stretch out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. It has an isophotal diameter of about 94,900 to 105,000 light years, making it a little bigger in size than the Milky Way.
It has a bright center, an unusually large central area, and a visible dust lane in its outer disk, which is viewed almost sideways. The dark dust lane and the central area give it the look of a sombrero hat (that is how it got its name). Astronomers first thought the halo was small and light, suggesting it was a spiral galaxy; but the Spitzer Space Telescope found that the halo was actually much larger and more massive, suggesting it is a giant elliptical galaxy.