Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sagittarius (Sgr)  ·  Contains:  M 20  ·  NGC 6514  ·  Trifid Nebula
M20 - Trifid Nebula, Ganesh Raja M
M20 - Trifid Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

M20 - Trifid Nebula

M20 - Trifid Nebula, Ganesh Raja M
M20 - Trifid Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

M20 - Trifid Nebula

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

The Trifid Nebula also known as Messier 20 or NGC 6514 is an H II region in the north-west of Sagittarius in a star-forming region in the Milky Way's Scutum-Centaurus Arm.  It is located 9000 light years from earth and is 21 light years wide.  It was discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764.  Its name means 'three-lobes'. The object is a combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the relatively dense, reddish-pink portion), a reflection nebula (the blue portion), and a dark nebula (the apparent 'gaps' in the emission nebula that cause the trifurcated appearance, also designated Barnard 85). 

In the image, a group of recently born massive bright stars can be seen.  These stars are releasing a flood of ultraviolet radiation that dramatically influences the structure and evolution of the surrounding nebula. Star formation is no longer occurring in the immediate vicinity of this group of bright stars because their intense radiation has blown away the gas and dust from which new stars are made.

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

M20 - Trifid Nebula, Ganesh Raja M