About
this Object 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. Trifid Nebula. (2009, July 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:20, July 10, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trifid_Nebula&oldid=301393370.
