| Description | M104 was added to the Catalog based on Méchain's correspondence in his letter to Bernoulli, May 6, 1783: "There is, however, a third [nebula], somewhat more northerly, which is even more vivid [brighter] than the two preceding ones [M95 and M96]. I discovered this one on March 24, 1781, 4 or 5 days after I had found the other two." <--> I observed M104 on a crazy night when this was the only target I could sneak in before the clouds closed in. As a bright, elliptical galaxy this was the perfect target for a brief observation.... While longer integration would have enlarged the size the disc "halo" it would not have added structural details. |
