M20 Triffid Nebula

DETAILS: Imaged with the LX200 10", f6.3 FR, CFW-8, ST-10XME, and guided by the AO-7. LRGB 75:15:15:24 minutes. Hot pixel removal and smoothing applied in MaxIm DL, along with align and color combine; color smoothing used and saturation reduced.

COMMENTARY: The Triffid Nebula, sometimes called the Clover, also known as NGC 6514, lies in the nebulae rich Constellation Sagittarius at an approximate distance of 5,000 light-years. The bright "leaves" of nebulosity are separated by dark lanes of cosmic matter, and glow from hydrogen spectral emissions. The blue patch of nebulosity is a reflection nebula from colder gas and dust reflecting the cosmic light of nearby stars. The Triffid is one of the more colorful imaging targets in the summer night sky.