Trifid Nebula

space · star-forming · nebula · Milky Way

Split into three parts. The Trifid Nebula got its name because it looks like it's divided into three lobes, kind of like a three-way fork in the sky. You can see these three sections clearly through a small telescope.

Four cosmic types combined. This nebula is incredibly special because it's actually four different things at once: a group of young stars, glowing gas that shines red, reflective dust that sparkles blue, and dark clouds that block light. Most nebulas are just one or two of these.

Babies of the galaxy. The Trifid Nebula is a star-forming region, which means brand new stars are being born right now inside those clouds of gas and dust. It's like a cosmic nursery.

Found in Sagittarius. This nebula lives about 6,000 light-years away in the Sagittarius constellation on the outer edge of our Milky Way galaxy's spiral arm.

Charles Messier's find. French astronomer Charles Messier discovered the Trifid Nebula on June 5, 1764, and it became one of amateur astronomers' favorite objects to spot because it's so beautiful and clear through a telescope.