The Sombrero galaxy has long had a place in astronomical history as an intriguing object. The first written record of this galaxy was noted in 1781, almost 250 years ago, by Pierre Méchain, a French astronomer and surveyor. Méchain was a longtime collaborator of Charles Messier, of the Messier catalog fame.

While the Sombrero galaxy didn’t earn an official place in the Messier catalog until 1921 (as Messier 104), since it’s easily visible from the Northern Hemisphere with a backyard telescope or even binoculars, it remained top of mind for observers over the years.

Now, new observations from the world’s premiere space observatory have added to the history of this storied galaxy.