M20 the Triffid Nebula

The name "triffid" refers to the three lobes of this nebula, not to the home planet of the Triffids. Pity, in my opinion.

This is another early shot, only 20 minutes and with a near-full moon close by. In 2-3 weeks I should be able to get some much nicer subs. The star field in this area is just as fascinating as the nebulae there; M20 (and M8, which is even more spectacular) are located in the dark band that runs through the middle of the Milky Way. Scan around due south with some binoculars around midnight and you'll likely end up finding this without much trouble.

This nebula is a major star birth region, and like the Orion Nebula, has all three types of nebulosity present-the red is light emitted by gases heated by stars within, the blue is simply reflected light from stars inside dust and gas clouds, and the black is clouds of dust. Once I get some more light collected, the blue will be much more evident.