The Trifid Nebula is an H II region located in Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764. Its name means 'divided into three lobes'. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars; an emission nebula, a reflection nebula and a dark nebula.

Distance to Earth: 5,200 light years

Radius: 21.00000001 light years

Magnitude: 6.3

Constellation: Sagittarius

Coordinates: RA 18h 2m 23s | Dec -23° 1′ 48″

Did you know: Messier 20 is a popular target for amateur astronomers as it is quite bright, even when seen through a small telescope.