James Webb Telescope Unveils Hidden Details of Sombrero Galaxy

New mid-infrared images reveal clumpy dust structures, a docile black hole, and minimal star formation in the iconic galaxy.

The James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) provided an unprecedented view of the Sombrero Galaxy, located 30 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation.
The new images reveal intricate clumps of dust in the galaxy's outer ring, contrasting with the smoother appearance in previous visible-light observations from Hubble and Spitzer.
Despite the presence of dust associated with star formation, the Sombrero Galaxy produces less than one solar mass of stars annually, significantly lower than starburst galaxies like Messier 82.
The galaxy's supermassive black hole, with a mass of 9 billion suns, is classified as a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus, emitting a small jet and consuming material at a slow rate.
The Sombrero Galaxy hosts approximately 2,000 globular clusters, offering astronomers a unique opportunity to study old star populations and their properties in a controlled environment.