JWST Peels Back the Layers of the Sombrero Galaxy

On November 2024, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) delivered breathtaking mid-infrared images of the Sombrero Galaxy (NGC 4594), 31 million light-years away. These visuals reveal a smooth inner disk and a clumpy outer ring rich in carbon molecules, hinting at hidden star-forming regions despite its slow annual star formation rate of 0.5 solar masses. With a hefty 9 billion solar mass black hole and 2,000 globular clusters, the Sombrero continues to intrigue astronomers, proving even massive galaxies have their mysterious moments.