Full HST WFPC2 image of 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. This nebula, also known as Messier 20 and NGC 6514, lies within our own Milky Way Galaxy about 9,000 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Sagittarius. This image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, offers a close-up view of the center of the Trifid Nebula, near the intersection of the dust bands, where a group of recently formed, massive, bright stars is easily visible.
Credit:About the Image
About the Object
Name: | M 20, Messier 20, NGC 6514, Trifid Nebula |
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Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region |
Distance: | 5500 light years |
Constellation: | Sagittarius |
Category: | Nebulae |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 18 2 21.81 |
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Position (Dec): | -23° 2' 4.82" |
Field of view: | 4.80 x 4.83 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 130.0° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
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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 |