🌟 A Striking and Iconic Shape
M104’s distinctive sombrero-like profile makes it instantly recognizable and visually memorable. The bright, rounded core and prominent dark dust band cutting through its disk offer one of the clearest examples of a galaxy seen edge-on, giving observers a real sense of three-dimensional structure.

🌟 Excellent Target for Small to Medium Telescopes
At magnitude 8.1, M104 is easily within reach of backyard telescopes. Even a 4–6 inch scope can reveal its bright nucleus and elongated shape under dark skies. Larger apertures begin to hint at the dust lane and finer edge detail, making it rewarding across a range of instruments.

🌟 One of the Best Spring Galaxies
Visible in the spring sky near the Virgo-Corvus border, M104 stands out in a season rich with galaxies but few as dramatically structured. It offers a bright, bold alternative to the more subtle elliptical galaxies in Virgo, serving as a highlight of spring observing sessions.

🌟 A Window into Galactic Structure
Few galaxies offer such a vivid view of both a bright central bulge and a clearly defined dust lane. Observing M104 helps stargazers understand how spiral galaxies are structured and how their components interact—making it as educational as it is beautiful.

In this step, you will hop to Spica, a very bright star in Virgo. To get there, start at the handle of the Big Dipper and follow it to the bright star Arcturus (+0.15) in Bootes, and then to Spica (+1.05) in Virgo.

Find the constellation Corvus and it two moderately bright stars Algorab (+2.97) and Gienah Corvi (+2.58).

In this final step there are two options. The first option is simpler but requires more skill and/or luck. The second option is more involved but may be easier.

Option 1: using Spica and Algorab as your guides, as precisely as you can, point with your binoculars or telescope finder to the approximate location of M104.

Option 2: point to Gienah Corvi. Notice that there is a very convenient chain of dim stars (+6 and +7) that form a path to M104. Study the path carefully. Then, using binoculars, an optical finder, or a low powered eyepiece, carefully follow the path to M104.

Whichever option you used, scan the area looking for M104 as a small oval patch of light with a brighter center. Once found, increase power and explore.

✅ Use a Medium to High Magnification
Start with low power to locate the galaxy, then increase magnification to darken the background sky and enhance contrast. This helps bring out the bright core and may hint at the dust lane in larger scopes.

✅ Observe from a Dark Sky Location
M104’s dust lane is subtle and easily lost to light pollution. To see its full sombrero shape, including the sharp contrast between core and disk, a Bortle 1–3 sky is ideal.

✅ Let Your Eyes Adjust Fully
Spend at least 20 minutes in complete darkness before observing. Full dark adaptation improves your ability to detect the galaxy’s fainter outer structure and its dark midline.

✅ Try averted vision
Look slightly to the side of M104 rather than directly at it. This technique increases sensitivity to low-contrast features, helping the dust lane stand out more clearly.

✅ Use Nearby Stars to Find It
Star-hop from Spica in Virgo or Algorab and Gienah Corvi in Corvus. M104 lies just a few degrees west of Spica and slightly north of Corvus, making it moderately easy to track down with a finder scope.

✅ Observe in Late Spring Evenings
M104 is best placed for viewing in late spring, when it sits higher in the southern sky. Aim to observe it when it’s near culmination (highest point in the sky) to reduce atmospheric interference.

❌ Naked Eye
With the naked eye, Messier 104 is not visible, even under excellent dark-sky conditions, due to its relatively faint magnitude and small angular size.

⚠️ Binoculars
In binoculars, it may appear as a very faint, barely noticeable smudge if the sky is dark and steady, but its distinctive shape and structure remain invisible.

✅ Small Telescope
Through a small telescope, such as a 3–4 inch refractor, M104 becomes a softly glowing oval patch with a noticeably bright core. While the dust lane isn’t visible at this aperture, the galaxy’s elongated shape hints at its edge-on nature.

✅ Medium Telescope
A medium telescope, in the 6–8 inch range, greatly improves the view. The bright central bulge becomes more prominent, and under dark skies, the dark dust lane cutting across the disk may begin to emerge as a faint line, especially with averted vision.

✅ Large Telescope
In a large telescope, 10 inches or more, Messier 104 is a stunning sight. The galaxy takes on a well-defined structure, with the bright nucleus, flattened disk, and sharp, symmetrical dust lane all clearly visible. Under excellent conditions, the halo extends outward from the core, and the entire “sombrero” shape is unmistakable, making it one of the most visually striking galaxies available to amateur observers.

🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, Messier 104 is impressive and well-defined. Its bright core, extended disk, and dark dust lane all stand out clearly. The halo around the galaxy appears smooth and luminous, and the iconic sombrero shape is unmistakable.

🔵 Under Bortle 3–4 skies, M104 remains a rewarding target. The core and disk are still prominent, though the dust lane may be less crisp. The galaxy retains its distinctive shape, and averted vision helps recover finer contrast.

🟡 In Bortle 5–6 skies, the view becomes muted. The core is still visible, but the outer disk fades, and the dust lane becomes difficult or impossible to detect. The galaxy appears as a soft oval glow, lacking detail.

🟠 Under Bortle 7+ skies, M104 is barely visible. Only the bright nucleus may be seen, with the surrounding structure lost in skyglow. The unique shape and dust lane are not discernible in these conditions.