M104: the Sombrero Galaxy

Basic processing of the Sombrero Galaxy dataset below.
Pushing the dynamic range to reveal the back side of the galaxy.

The Sombrero Galaxy (also Messier 104 and NGC 4594) is a peculiar galaxy of unclear classification in the constellation borders of Virgo and Corvus, being about 31.1 million light-years from the Milky Way galaxy. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. It has a diameter of approximately 49,000 light-years, three-tenths the size of the Milky Way.

M104 has a bright nucleus, an unusually large central bulge, and a prominent dust lane in its outer disk, which is viewed almost edge-on. The dark dust lane and the bulge give it the appearance of a sombrero hat.

The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of +8.0.

The dataset consists of RGB frames at 300s (2 zip files) plus 1mn frames for those wanting to generate a tighter starfield.