Object: M 20
M20, the Trifid, is a combination emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. Its name is derived from the dark lanes trisecting the emission portion of the nebula, a feature identified by American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard and cataloged as Barnard 85. Nebulae are notoriously difficult to determine the distance to, with M20 estimated in the range of 5200 to 9000 light-years.
- Team: Dave Jurasevich and Howard Hedlund
- Filters: Tru-Balance LRGB Gen 2 filter set
- Exposure: H-alpha 9 x 900 sec; L 7 x 600 sec; RGB 5 x 450 sec (all 1x1 bin)
- Date: June 2014
- Software: CCDStack 2, Photoshop CS5