Trifid Nebula

Photograph information

Telescope : LX200 at f 6.3

Film : PJm 640

Exposure : 45min Manual guided 

Date : 29/7/2000

Location : Greece Island Crete

Object Information:

M20 (NGC 6514) is a diffuse nebulae called Trifid Nebula and got its name from the three dust lanes, which divide the nebula  into three separate regions which intersect near its center. The structure which will bring out the three dark lanes familiar on photographs can only be seen with large telescopes. Small scopes just show the bright stars in the heart of the nebula .The Trifid Nebula as you can see in wider photographs  is found 1.5 degrees north of the Lagoon Nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. Stars, the Sun included, were born within clouds of dusty gas such as the Trifid Nebula. The light from M20 we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Measuring some forty light years across, this nebula contains enough gas to make many thousands of suns. Within it a number of young hot stars have already formed. The hottest cause the interstellar hydrogen gas, to emit its characteristic red light. Around the red emission nebula the gas contains many dust grains which preferentially reflect the blue component of starlight, and to the north (top) of the nebula can be seen a bright star which illuminates part of the dust to create a region of blue reflection. In some parts of the nebula there are so many dust grains that they hide the glowing gas, producing the three dark lanes which give the object its name.

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