Trifid Nebula

Trifid Nebula

M20, NGC 6514

Constellation: Sagittarius
Ra: 18h 02m 28s
Dec: -22d 59m 19s
Distance: 5,200 light years
Image Size: 35' x 35'
North: lower left

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Description

The Trifid Nebula, M20, is a must-have object for any astrophotographer in the Constellation of Sagittarius. It has a beautiful red/magenta emission nebula, captured here with the red and Hydrogen-alpha filters, partially covered by dense tendrils of dust. The region is an intense stellar nursery for new star creation. The emission nebula smoothly transitions into a bluish reflection nebula toward the north (lower left), where gas and dust reflect light from intense, nearby blue stars. There is also a considerable amount of dust trailing off into the background. Thanks to Chris Purves, my observatory partner at our iTelescope.net Siding Springs Observatory in Australia, for calibrating and providing the data that I processed.

Exposure: 20 hrs Total, 4 hrs each LRGB, H-a
Telescope: PlaneWave CDK20
Mount: PlaneWave Ascension A200h
Oag: Astrodon MonsterMOAG
Acquisition: CCDAutoPilot5
Calibration: CCDStack2
Observatory Site: Siding Springs, iTelescope.net, NSW, Australia
Camera: Apogee U16M D09
Filters: Astrodon Gen2 LRGB, 3nm H-a, OIII
Guider: SBIG ST-i
Camera Operation: MaximDL5.18
Processing: Photoshop CS6, PixInstight1.8
Image Date: 07/05/2013 - 08/10/2013

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