Waid Observatory

Object: NGC 1579 - The Northern Trifid Nebula
Date: Jan. 4-5-6, 2021   -   Location: Davis Mountains west of Fort Davis, TX
Telescope: 10 in. RC   -   Mount: Paramount MX   -   Camera: Apogee ALTA F8300M
Exposure: L R G & B = 240 min. each
Click on the image below to view at higher resolution.

 
ngc1579

 

NGC 1579 - The Northern Trifid Nebula 1

Located approximately 2,000 light years distance in the constellation Monoceros is the bright nebula NGC 1579.  This celestial object is commonly known as the Trifid of the North.  It has a remarkable similarity to the well-known southern Trifid Nebula (Messier 20).  The nebula is a nursery for many newly forming stars.  The dark dust clouds that span this bright nebula hide many of these new stars, however, infrared observations have penetrated these obscuring clouds and have revealed a multitude of the hidden stars.  Over time, radiation pressure and stellar winds from these newly formed stars will dissipate the nebula's gas and dust.  What will remain of this impressive and colorful nebula will be an open cluster of young stars.  Our own Sun probably formed in a similar fashion some 4.5 billion years ago.

1https://esahubble.org/images/potw1322a/

 
Copyright Donald P. Waid