New Hubble image reveals details in the heart of the Trifid Nebula
Three huge intersecting dark lanes of interstellar dust make the Trifid Nebula one of the most recognizable and striking star birth regions in the night sky. The dust, silhouetted against glowing gas and illuminated by starlight, cradles the bright stars at the heart of the Trifid Nebula. This nebula, also known as Messier 20 and NGC 6514, lies within our own Milky Way Galaxy about 9,000 light-years (2,700 parsecs) from Earth, in the constellation Sagittarius.
Credit:About the Image
About the Object
| Name: | M 20, Messier 20, NGC 6514, Trifid Nebula |
|---|---|
| Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region |
| Distance: | 5500 light years |
| Category: | Nebulae |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical OIII | 502 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Optical H-alpha | 656 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Optical SII | 673 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |