The Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20 (M20) and NGC 6514, is an H II region situated in the northwestern part of the Sagittarius constellation, within the star-forming Scutum–Centaurus Arm of the Milky Way. Discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764, the nebula's name translates to 'three-lobe,' reflecting its distinctive structure. This celestial object uniquely combines an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (characterized by its dense, reddish-pink areas), a reflection nebula (noted for its blue hues predominantly in the north-northeast), and a dark nebula (the apparent gaps that create the trifurcated appearance, known as Barnard 85). The Trifid Nebula is a bright and striking object visible through small telescopes, making it a popular target for amateur astronomers.  The most massive star within the Trifid Nebula is HD 164492A, an O7.5III star with a mass exceeding 20 times that of the Sun. This giant star is surrounded by a cluster of approximately 3,100 young stars.

Object: M20

Location: Portsmouth, UK

Mount: Alt Az

Bortle Scale: 7

Nights:       27th (00:06 - 01:05)  & 28th June 2024 (00:56 - 01:11)

Total Subs Used: 221 x 10 Subs

Seeing:  Clear - Skims the rooftops.  Chimneys get in the way!

Fits Stacked: Siril

Post-Processing Steps

1. GraXpert - Background extraction and Denoise v2.0 

2. Siril - colour calibration, photometric colour calibration, removing green noise, colour calibration, histogram stretch, colour saturation.

Object: M20

Location: Portsmouth, UK

Mount: Alt Az

Bortle Scale: 7

Nights:       27th (00:06 - 01:05)  & 28th June 2024 (00:56 - 01:11)

Additional subs: 266 14 & 15 July

Total Subs Used: 487 x 10 Subs

Seeing:  Clear - Skims the rooftops.  Chimneys get in the way!

Fits Stacked: Siril

Post-Processing Steps

1. GraXpert - Background extraction and Denoise v2.0 

2. Siril - colour calibration, photometric colour calibration, removing green noise, colour calibration, GHST, colour saturation.

3.  Cropped with star reductions, AstroSharp.