Trifid Nebula

Trifid Nebula
Trifid Nebula by the Hubble Space Telescope (NASA/ESA)
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Type	Emission/Reflection
Right ascension	18h 02m 23s[1]
Declination	-23° 01′ 48″[1]
Distance	5200 ly[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+6.3[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)	28 arcmins
Constellation	Sagittarius
Physical characteristics
Other designations	M20, NGC 6514,[1] Sharpless 30, RCW 147, Gum 76
See also: Diffuse nebula, Lists of nebulae

The Trifid Nebula (catalogued as Messier 20 or M20 and as NGC 6514) is an H II region located in Sagittarius. Its name means 'divided into three lobes'. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the lower, red portion), a reflection nebula (the upper, blue portion) and a dark nebula (the apparent 'gaps' within the emission nebula that cause the trifid appearance; these are also designated Barnard 85). Viewed through a small telescope, the Trifid Nebula is a bright and colorful object, and is thus a perennial favorite of amateur astronomers.^[3]

Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Gallery 3 References 4 External links 5 See also

Characteristics

The Trifid Nebula was the subject of an investigation by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope in 1997, using filters that isolate emission from hydrogen atoms, ionized sulfur atoms, and doubly ionized oxygen atom. The images were combined into a false-color composite picture to suggest how the nebula might look to the eye.

The close-up images show a dense cloud of dust and gas, which is a stellar nursery full of embryonic stars. This cloud is about 8 light years away from the nebula's central star. A stellar jet protrudes from the head of the cloud and is about 0.75 light-years long. The jet's source is a young stellar object deep within the cloud. Jets are the exhaust gasses of star formation. Radiation from the nebula's central star makes the jet glow.

The images also showed a finger-like stalk to the right of the jet. It points from the head of the dense cloud directly toward the star that powers the Trifid nebula. This stalk is a prominent example of evaporating gaseous globules, or 'EGGs'. The stalk has survived because its tip is a knot of gas that is dense enough to resist being eaten away by the powerful radiation from the star.

In January, 2005, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered 30 embryonic stars and 120 newborn stars not seen in visible light images.

It is approximately 5,200 light years away. It is in a magnitude of 6.3.

Gallery

References

External links

• Spitzer IR Trifid discoveries
• Messier 20, SEDS Messier pages
• Trifid Nebula at ESA/Hubble
• The Trifid Nebula on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

See also

• Messier object
• List of Messier objects
• New General Catalogue
• List of nebulas
• Wikipedia Project: Astronomical Objects

Messier objects List M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 M16 M17 M18 M19 M20 M21 M22 M23 M24 M25 M26 M27 M28 M29 M30 M31 M32 M33 M34 M35 M36 M37 M38 M39 M40 M41 M42 M43 M44 M45 M46 M47 M48 M49 M50 M51 M52 M53 M54 M55 M56 M57 M58 M59 M60 M61 M62 M63 M64 M65 M66 M67 M68 M69 M70 M71 M72 M73 M74 M75 M76 M77 M78 M79 M80 M81 M82 M83 M84 M85 M86 M87 M88 M89 M90 M91 M92 M93 M94 M95 M96 M97 M98 M99 M100 M101 M102 M103 M104 M105 M106 M107 M108 M109 M110 See also Catalogue of Nebulae General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters New General Catalogue Index Catalogue Revised New General Catalogue Herschel 400 Catalogue Caldwell catalogue Book:Messier objects Category:Messier objects Portal:Astronomy

Sharpless catalog Sh2-1 Sh2-2 Sh2-3 Sh2-4 Sh2-5 Sh2-6 Sh2-7 Sh2-8 Sh2-9 Sh2-10 Sh2-11 Sh2-12 Sh2-13 Sh2-14 Sh2-15 Sh2-16 Sh2-17 Sh2-18 Sh2-19 Sh2-20 Sh2-21 Sh2-22 Sh2-23 Sh2-24 Sh2-25 Sh2-26 Sh2-27 Sh2-28 Sh2-29 Sh2-30 Sh2-31 Sh2-32 Sh2-33 Sh2-34 Sh2-35 Sh2-36 Sh2-37 Sh2-38 Sh2-39 Sh2-40 Sh2-41 Sh2-42 Sh2-43 Sh2-44 Sh2-45 Sh2-46 Sh2-47 Sh2-48 Sh2-49 Sh2-50 Sh2-51 Sh2-52 Sh2-53 Sh2-54 Sh2-55 Sh2-56 Sh2-57 Sh2-58 Sh2-59 Sh2-60 Sh2-61 Sh2-62 Sh2-63 Sh2-64 Sh2-65 Sh2-66 Sh2-67 Sh2-68 Sh2-69 Sh2-70 Sh2-71 Sh2-72 Sh2-73 Sh2-74 Sh2-75 Sh2-76 Sh2-77 Sh2-78 Sh2-79 Sh2-80 Sh2-81 Sh2-82 Sh2-83 Sh2-84 Sh2-85 Sh2-86 Sh2-87 Sh2-88 Sh2-89 Sh2-90 Sh2-91 Sh2-92 Sh2-93 Sh2-94 Sh2-95 Sh2-96 Sh2-97 Sh2-98 Sh2-99 Sh2-100 Sh2-101 Sh2-102 Sh2-103 Sh2-104 Sh2-105 Sh2-106 Sh2-107 Sh2-108 Sh2-109 Sh2-110 Sh2-111 Sh2-112 Sh2-113 Sh2-114 Sh2-115 Sh2-116 Sh2-117 Sh2-118 Sh2-119 Sh2-120 Sh2-121 Sh2-122 Sh2-123 Sh2-124 Sh2-125 Sh2-126 Sh2-127 Sh2-128 Sh2-129 Sh2-130 Sh2-131 Sh2-132 Sh2-133 Sh2-134 Sh2-135 Sh2-136 Sh2-137 Sh2-138 Sh2-139 Sh2-140 Sh2-141 Sh2-142 Sh2-143 Sh2-144 Sh2-145 Sh2-146 Sh2-147 Sh2-148 Sh2-149 Sh2-150 Sh2-151 Sh2-152 Sh2-153 Sh2-154 Sh2-155 Sh2-156 Sh2-157 Sh2-158 Sh2-159 Sh2-160 Sh2-161 Sh2-162 Sh2-163 Sh2-164 Sh2-165 Sh2-166 Sh2-167 Sh2-168 Sh2-169 Sh2-170 Sh2-171 Sh2-172 Sh2-173 Sh2-174 Sh2-175 Sh2-176 Sh2-177 Sh2-178 Sh2-179 Sh2-180 Sh2-181 Sh2-182 Sh2-183 Sh2-184 Sh2-185 Sh2-186 Sh2-187 Sh2-188 Sh2-189 Sh2-190 Sh2-191 Sh2-192 Sh2-193 Sh2-194 Sh2-195 Sh2-196 Sh2-197 Sh2-198 Sh2-199 Sh2-201 Sh2-202 Sh2-203 Sh2-204 Sh2-205 Sh2-206 Sh2-207 Sh2-208 Sh2-209 Sh2-210 Sh2-211 Sh2-212 Sh2-213 Sh2-214 Sh2-215 Sh2-216 Sh2-217 Sh2-218 Sh2-219 Sh2-220 Sh2-221 Sh2-222 Sh2-223 Sh2-224 Sh2-225 Sh2-226 Sh2-227 Sh2-228 Sh2-229 Sh2-230 Sh2-231 Sh2-232 Sh2-233 Sh2-234 Sh2-235 Sh2-236 Sh2-237 Sh2-238 Sh2-239 Sh2-240 Sh2-241 Sh2-242 Sh2-243 Sh2-244 Sh2-245 Sh2-246 Sh2-247 Sh2-248 Sh2-249 Sh2-250 Sh2-251 Sh2-252 Sh2-253 Sh2-254 Sh2-255 Sh2-256 Sh2-257 Sh2-258 Sh2-259 Sh2-260 Sh2-261 Sh2-262 Sh2-263 Sh2-264 Sh2-265 Sh2-266 Sh2-267 Sh2-268 Sh2-269 Sh2-270 Sh2-271 Sh2-272 Sh2-273 Sh2-274 Sh2-275 Sh2-276 Sh2-277 Sh2-278 Sh2-279 Sh2-280 Sh2-281 Sh2-282 Sh2-283 Sh2-284 Sh2-285 Sh2-286 Sh2-287 Sh2-288 Sh2-289 Sh2-290 Sh2-291 Sh2-292 Sh2-293 Sh2-294 Sh2-295 Sh2-296 Sh2-297 Sh2-298 Sh2-299 Sh2-301 Sh2-302 Sh2-303 Sh2-304 Sh2-305 Sh2-306 Sh2-307 Sh2-308 Sh2-309 Sh2-310 Sh2-311 Sh2-312 Sh2-313 See also: Stewart Sharpless RCW catalog Gum catalog Nebula

RCW Catalogue RCW 1 RCW 2 RCW 3 RCW 4 RCW 5 RCW 6 RCW 7 RCW 8 RCW 9 RCW 10 RCW 11 RCW 12 RCW 13 RCW 14 RCW 15 RCW 16 RCW 17 RCW 18 RCW 19 RCW 20 RCW 21 RCW 22 RCW 23 RCW 24 RCW 25 RCW 26 RCW 27 RCW 28 RCW 29 RCW 30 RCW 31 RCW 32 RCW 33 RCW 34 RCW 35 RCW 36 RCW 37 RCW 38 RCW 39 RCW 41 RCW 42 RCW 43 RCW 44 RCW 45 RCW 46 RCW 47 RCW 48 RCW 49 RCW 50 RCW 51 RCW 52 RCW 53 RCW 54 RCW 55 RCW 56 RCW 57 RCW 58 RCW 59 RCW 60 RCW 61 RCW 62 RCW 63 RCW 64 RCW 65 RCW 66 RCW 67 RCW 68 RCW 69 RCW 70 RCW 71 RCW 72 RCW 73 RCW 74 RCW 75 RCW 76 RCW 77 RCW 78 RCW 79 RCW 80 RCW 81 RCW 82 RCW 83 RCW 84 RCW 85 RCW 86 RCW 87 RCW 88 RCW 89 RCW 91 RCW 92 RCW 93 RCW 94 RCW 95 RCW 96 RCW 97 RCW 98 RCW 99 RCW 100 RCW 101 RCW 102 RCW 103 RCW 104 RCW 105 RCW 106 RCW 107 RCW 108 RCW 109 RCW 110 RCW 111 RCW 112 RCW 113 RCW 114 RCW 115 RCW 116 RCW 117 RCW 118 RCW 119 RCW 120 RCW 121 RCW 122 RCW 123 RCW 124 RCW 125 RCW 126 RCW 127 RCW 128 RCW 129 RCW 130 RCW 131 RCW 132 RCW 133 RCW 134 RCW 135 RCW 136 RCW 137 RCW 138 RCW 139 RCW 141 RCW 142 RCW 143 RCW 144 RCW 145 RCW 146 RCW 147 RCW 148 RCW 149 RCW 150 RCW 151 RCW 152 RCW 153 RCW 154 RCW 155 RCW 156 RCW 157 RCW 158 RCW 159 RCW 160 RCW 161 RCW 162 RCW 163 RCW 164 RCW 165 RCW 166 RCW 167 RCW 168 RCW 169 RCW 170 RCW 171 RCW 172 RCW 173 RCW 174 RCW 175 RCW 176 RCW 177 RCW 178 RCW 179 RCW 180 RCW 181 RCW 182 See also: Emission nebula HI region HII region

Gum Catalog Colin Stanley Gum Gum 1 Gum 2 Gum 3 Gum 4 Gum 5 Gum 6 Gum 7 Gum 8 Gum 9 Gum 10 Gum 12 Gum 13 Gum 14 Gum 15 Gum 16 Gum 17 Gum 18 Gum 19 Gum 20 Gum 21 Gum 22 Gum 23 Gum 24 Gum 25 Gum 26 Gum 27 Gum 28 Gum 29 Gum 30 Gum 31 Gum 32 Gum 33 Gum 34 Gum 35 Gum 36 Gum 37 Gum 38 Gum 39 Gum 40 Gum 41 Gum 42 Gum 43 Gum 44 Gum 45 Gum 46 Gum 47 Gum 48 Gum 49 Gum 50 Gum 51 Gum 52 Gum 53 Gum 54 Gum 55 Gum 56 Gum 57 Gum 58 Gum 59 Gum 60 Gum 61 Gum 62 Gum 63 Gum 64 Gum 65 Gum 66 Gum 67 Gum 68 Gum 69 Gum 70 Gum 71 Gum 72 Gum 73 Gum 74 Gum 75 Gum 76 Gum 77 Gum 78 Gum 79 Gum 80 Gum 81 Gum 82 Gum 83 Gum 84 Gum 85 See also: Gum Nebula

Coordinates: 18^h 02^m 23^s, −23° 01′ 48″