Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2024 August 10
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      The Light, Dark, and Dusty Trifid
        Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Robert Edelmaier and Gabriele
                                 Gegenbauer

   Explanation: [5]Messier 20, popularly known as the Trifid Nebula, lies
   about 5,000 light-years away toward the [6]nebula rich constellation
   Sagittarius. A star forming region in the plane of our galaxy, the
   Trifid does illustrate three different types of astronomical nebulae;
   red [7]emission nebulae dominated by light from hydrogen atoms, blue
   [8]reflection nebulae produced by dust reflecting starlight, and
   [9]dark nebulae where dense dust clouds appear in silhouette. The
   reddish emission region, roughly separated into three parts by
   obscuring dust lanes, is what lends the Trifid its [10]popular name.
   The cosmic cloud complex is over 40 light-years across and would cover
   the area of a full moon on planet Earth's sky. But the Trifid Nebula is
   too faint to be seen by the unaided eye. Over 75 hours of image data
   captured under dark night skies was used to create this [11]stunning
   telescopic view.

                    Watch: [12]The Perseid Meteor Shower
                   Tomorrow's picture: animation in space
     __________________________________________________________________

      [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search |
   [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss |
                                    [23]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
               [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2408/M20OriginalLRGBHaO3S2_1500x1100.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astropicture.at/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-20/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130712.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080424.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090521.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090522.html
  10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifid_Nebula
  11. https://www.astropicture.at/skandinavien
  12. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240809.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240810
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240811.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/