Sombrero Galaxy To Be Visible Friday Night 

Astronomy enthusiasts have a golden opportunity to see what National Geographic refers to as a “stunning galaxy” on Friday night, as Messier 104 – better known as the Sombrero Galaxy – will be visible in the southern part of the sky, according to the website.

Messier 104 is “is a dramatic-looking telescope object with a distinctive dark dust lane that cuts right across its bright core, giving it a strong resemblance to its namesake,” they added. It is one of the brightest and most famous galaxies that can be seen using household telescopes.

Stargazers can track down the galaxy by mentally drawing a line from the moon to Gienah, a bright star that is located 165 light-years away in the constellation Corvus, Nat Geo said. Then, using either a good set of binoculars or a small backyard telescope, scan to the midpoint of this line in search of “a faint, fuzzy oval patch.” That object will be Messier 104.

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