The beautiful Trifid Nebula is a cosmic example that best demonstrates contrast. Also known as M20, this nebula is located about 5,000 light-years away, in the direction of Sagittarius, which is rich in nebulae.
Trifid, a star formation region located in the plane of our galaxy, exhibits three types of astronomical nebulae. The red emission nebula dominated by light from hydrogen atoms, the blue reflection nebula made of dust that reflects starlight, and the dark nebula, where dense clouds of dust appear as silhouettes. The region of the red emission nebula is roughly divided into three parts by a concealed dust lane, earning it the popular name Trifid.
At the top and right of the center of the nebula, pillars and jets sculpted by newly formed stars can be seen. This can be observed in the famous close-up images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Trifid Nebula boasts a size of about 40 light-years. While it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, in deep telescope imaging, it occupies an area in the Earth's sky roughly equivalent to that of a full moon.