M20 - Trifid Nebula

M20, the Trifid Nebula, is known for its three-lobed appearance and was given this name by astronomer John Herschel. In fact, the term "trifid" literally means three lobes. This spectacular object is a rare combination of very bright emission and reflection nebulae. These strikingly different colors are due to different effects within the vast clouds of hydrogen gas and dust that comprise the nebula. The bottom red portion of the nebula is where new stars are being formed. These new hot young stars emit enough radiation to ionize the surrounding hydrogen making them emit light in the Ha (656nm) spectral line which is in the deep red part of the visible spectrum. The upper blue portion of the nebula is caused by the reflection of light in surrounding dust clouds by nearby stars. This nebula is estimated to measure 40 light years across and is located approximately 5,200 light years from Earth.

Image Specifications:

     •  Instrument:  Takahashi FS-102 Refractor (820mm - f/8)
     •  Camera:  Canon 20Da
     •  Filters:  Hutech IDAS LPS (Light Pollution)
     •  Mount:  Losmandy GM-8 Equatorial
     •  Guiding:  None
     •  Time / Date :  September 9, 2005, 11:00pm EST
     •  Location:  Coyle Field, NJ
     •  Weather:  Clear, 60degF, no wind
     •  Primary Exposure :  5 x 60sec, ISO 1600, RAW, average combined
     •  Calibration Frames:  5 x 60sec, ISO 1600, RAW, average combined
     •  Image Processing :  Images Plus, Photoshop CS2, PixInsightLE, NoiseNinja