M20 (NGC 6514) Sgr diffuse nebula
Difficulty level 3

Date of observation: 1996/04/27 03:45
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 3/3/4
Instruments: 32cm Dobsonian with PL17 at 90x
Width of field: 0.6 degrees
This is the Trifid Nebula. The nebula is torn into three parts by dark bands running across the face of the nebula like cracks. The is a stunning site. The nebula consists of the southwest, southeast, and northern parts. With a careful look, you will see the northern part is split further into two, making the nebula appear as a four-way-split nebula. There is a double at the center of the southeastern part. This double does not stand out in photographs buried in bright nebulosity, but visually it is quite conspicuous. The northern part looks faint and diffuse spreading to the west. The part of the southwestern nebulosity facing the center of this nebula is especially bright and defined sharply. There is a star northeast of this and some faint nebulosity is clearly seen around this star. It has a triangular shape.