ScienceDownEast | ScienceDownEast Astrophotography | Messier Objects | M20 Trifid Nebula
then click again for actual size.
Took this at the St. Croix Observatory while the Trifd Nebula was low on the horizon (although the conditions were pretty good). Eventually it hit the trees.
The earliest recorded observation of this object was made by Charles Messier in 1764, when he cataloged it as a "nebula without stars" surrounding a cluster. Located in the constellation Sagittarius, Messier 20 is now famously known as the Trifid Nebula because of its striking three-lobed appearance, caused by dark dust lanes dividing the bright emission nebula.
In addition to its red emission regions, the Trifid also contains a prominent blue reflection nebula and regions of dark nebulae, making it a unique object that showcases three types of nebulae in one. The central star cluster energizes the glowing gas and is still an area of active star formation. The brightest star, HD 164492, illuminates much of the nebula and contributes to the dramatic contrast seen in this image.
Total image time was 70 minutes.
| Exposure | 7 x 10 min. | ||||||||
| Gain | 100 | ||||||||
| Camera | ToupTek ATR2600C [6224 x 4168] | ||||||||
| Optics | 120mm Skywatcher Esprit on a Proxisky UMi20S Strain Wave mount | ||||||||
| Guiding | ToupTek GPM462M using Phd2 with a 400mm guide scope. Average 20 min sub GuideRMS ranged from 0.9 to 1.1 using 0.5 sec exposures. | ||||||||
| Controller | Kstars on MeLe Quieter 4C | ||||||||
| Filter | Triad Quad Ultra | ||||||||
| Location | St. Croix Observatory, Nova Scotia. | ||||||||
| Date | 2025-09-24 | ||||||||
| Processing | Processed in PixInsight. | ||||||||
| PixInsight Processing |
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