Celestial hiccups and fantastic results: imaging the Trifid Nebula

As a member of the RASC, Toronto Centre, in July 2023 I spent a weekend under a dark sky with some friends at the E.C. Carr Astronomical Observatory (CAO).

The second target for the night of July 22-23 was the Trifid Nebula (M 20) in Sagittarius.

While imaging the Trifid Nebula I encountered my share of celestial challenges and technical hiccups. At our latitudes, M 20 is crazy low to the southern horizon, so it is hard to capture a decent amount of photons if you are located in a light polluted area.

Next, for some reason the meridian flip didn’t unfold as expected, leading to a manual intervention and a loss of precious imaging time. Additionally, despite the dew heater operating at maximum power, dew condensed on my guide camera, posing yet another challenge. Post-processing presented its own set of obstacles too, with persistent halos around the brightest stars proving to be a formidable adversary.

Unveiling the Trifid Nebula’s Splendor

The Trifid Nebula, located approximately 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius, is a breathtaking combination of emission and reflection nebulae. Its three-lobed appearance, from which it derives its name, showcases a remarkable color palette ranging from blue to deep red and purple, offering a visual feast for astrophotographers and casual observers. 

Below you can see the final processed image. Until next time, clear skies!

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