Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula is not something you here about on a day to day basis.  However, during my exploration of the universe, something about it seemed to catch my eye.  I requested pictures of it from the Harvard MicroObservatory, which you can see below, and the more I researched it, the more interesting it became.  The Trifid Nebular was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier, and it's name means "divided into three lobes" due to it being comprised of a red emission nebula, a blue reflection nebula and a dark nebula (MacPhee).  The Trifid Nebula and Lagoon Nebula actually appear in the same area of space from our point of view.  Scientists believe that they are both about 5,000 light-years away, and because of this, some contemplate whether or not these two come from the same origin (McClure).  The Trifid Nebular is also a stellar nursery, so it is the birthplace of many star formations (McClure).  The Trifid Nebula is just one of many nebulae in the universe that continue to fascinate scientists and enthrall "citizen astronomers" (like me!) to watch the sky.

Works Cited

MacPhee, Martin. "Exploring the Trifid Nebula." EarthSky. EarthSky, 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
McClure, Bruce. "The Trifid Nebula, or M20." EarthSky. EarthSky, 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

Taken 11/8/15 by the Harvard MicroObservatory, Dark Filter

Taken 11/8/15 by the Harvard MicroObservatory, Red Filter