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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                  2026 January 11   
      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.   
      
                       M104: The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared   
       Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Caltech, SSC, R. Kennicutt (Steward Obs.) et   
                                       al.,   
      
      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.   
      The dark band of dust that obscures the mid-section of the Sombrero   
      Galaxy in visible light actually glows brightly in infrared light. The   
      featured image, digitally sharpened, shows the infrared glow, recently   
      recorded by the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope, superposed in   
      false-color on an existing image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope   
      in visible light. The Sombrero Galaxy, also known as M104, spans about   
      50,000 light years and lies 28 million light years away. M104 can be   
      seen with a small telescope in the direction of the constellation   
      Virgo.   
      
                    Jigsaw Galaxy: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day   
                         Tomorrow's picture: meteor drift   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
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                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
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