| Designation |
Messier 20
(NGC 6514)
|
| Type | Emission & Reflection Nebula |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Coordinates | Telescope centered at '18 02 29' Dec '-22 36 37' |
| Magnitude | 9.0 |
| Size | The emission portion is approximately 20 light years in diameter |
| Distance | 5,200 light years from Earth |
| Dimensions | 28x 28 arcminutes |
| Image Field | 90.6 x 131.3 arcminutes |
|
Notes:
|
M 20 is estimated to have formed about 300 million years ago. The Trifid gets its name from its segmented appearance, due to the three dark dust lanes that divide it. Similar to its neighbor The Lagoon, much of the visible emission is dominated by red florescing gas from hydrogen, forming an "H II region" around the bright small cluster of stars in the south. The blue portion is a result of the cooler reflection emission gases scattering light from nearby stars. |
|
|
| Telescope | Meade 10" LX200 f/10 on Losmandy G-11 with Gemini L3 |
| Focal Length | 1575 mm @ f/6.3 |
| Guiding | SXV guidehead through Takahashi FS60C @ f/5.9 |
| Telescope Control | Maxim DL (V4.07) |
| CCD Camera |
Starlight
Xpress SXV-H9 - USB 2 ExView progressive scan
1392 x 1040 (6.45 uM)
pixel array (8.98 x 6.71 active area)
|
| Image Scale | .88 arcsec/pixel |
| Filters |
1.25"
Astronomik Type II Dichroic IR blocking filters in Astronomik filter
drawer - Clear, Red, Green, Blue, Ha
|
| Exposures |
Total exposure
time: 202 minutes -Luminance 45 (9x5) minutes unbinned,
Ha 45 (9x5) unbinned, Red 24 (6 x 4) minutes, Green 40 (10x4)
minutes, Blue 48 (12x4), color each binned 2x2. Ha combined 60%
with Red and Lum.
|
| Calibration | flats (averaged 32 @ 40%-50% full well), bias |
| Processing Software | Maxim DL v4.07, Photoshop CS (8.0), NEAT image (color smoothing |
| Location | Chiefland Astronomy Village, FL - 29.393 N , - 82.863 W |
| Date/Time | 03/12/05 & 03/13/05 / '09:02' UT rough start each night |
