Messier 20 Trifid Nebula

Messier 20 (NGC 6514) The Trifid Nebula

 

Named for its 3 lobe appearance and located in Sagitarius this stellar nursery is approximatly 5200 light years away it is one of the youngest emission nebula, estimated to be about 300,000 years old.

 

A group of recently formed, massive, bright stars toward the centre of the nebula are easily visible. 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.

 

The nebula measures 10 light years across and is a wonderful example of the three most common nebula consisting of an emission nebula (red, pinkish region) reflection nebula (blue region) and absorption nebula (dark region) making it a favourite target for astrophotographers

It can be observed with nothing more than a pair of binoculars, but a good scope will reveal some of the intricate detail to be found here.

Location/Date

June 4 2019 Lennox & Addington dark Sky Viewing Area

Equipement

TS 130 apo f7

SW EQ6 Pro

ZWO 1600mm Pro @ -20 Unity Gain

ZWO EFW 7pos LRGB Ha Oiii Sii

Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope w Orion SS Autoguider

Pegasus Astro Electronic Focuser

Iterations

10 @ 120s R

10 @ 120s G

10 @ 120s B

12 @ 300s Ha

Capture & Processing Software

Pixinsight, Deep sky stacker, Sequence Generator Pro, PHD 2, Photoshop

Done