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. 2005 May 26
Explanation: The beautiful Trifid Nebula (aka M20), a photogenic
study in cosmic contrasts, lies about 5,000 light-years away
toward the nebula rich constellation Sagittarius. A star forming
region in the plane of our galaxy, the Trifid fittingly
illustrates three basic types of astronomical nebulae; red
emission nebulae dominated by light from hydrogen atoms, blue
reflection nebulae produced by dust reflecting starlight, and
dark absorption nebulae where dense dust clouds appear in
silhouette. The bright red emission nebula, roughly separated
into three parts by obscuring dust lanes, lends the Trifid its
popular name. In this gorgeous wide view, the red emission
region is also surrounded by the telltale blue haze of
reflection nebulae. Light-year long pillars and jets sculpted by
newborn stars - visible here below the center of