Wallpaper author:
David Tonucci
28 Dec 2025
Trifid Nebula
The Trifid Nebula (M20) is a stunning star-forming region in the constellation Sagittarius, famous for its vibrant mix of red emission, blue reflection, and dark dust clouds, appearing "divided into three" lobes, hence its name. Located about 5,000 light-years away, it's a stellar nursery containing a young open star cluster, making it a favorite target for amateur astronomers and space telescopes, often imaged alongside the nearby Lagoon Nebula (M8).
Dataset from which the image was processed
M20
3 credit
- Type of target............................................................................................................................Emission Nebula
- Camera............................................................................................................................QHY 600M
- Target coordinates............................................................................................................................RA 270.6038 Dec -23.0018
- Hemisphere............................................................................................................................Southern
- Telescope location............................................................................................................................Chile
- Transient event............................................................................................................................No
- Observed on............................................................................................................................16 Jun 2023 - 25 Oct 2023
Filter | Avg Exp (s) | Total Exposure | Subframes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halpha | 1000 | 2h30m | 9 |
| Blue | 200 | 30m | 9 |
| Luminance | 100 | 15m | 9 |
| Red | 100 | 15m | 9 |
| Green | 100 | 15m | 9 |