M20 is a red emission nebula with a young star cluster located
at its center. The astronomer John Herschel was the first to use
the term, "Trifid" to describe this nebula's appearance. Charles
Messier referred to M20 only as a "cluster of stars".
The nebula is located close to M8, the Lagoon Nebula, in the
night sky. Both objects are easy to locate, making them popular
targets for astrophotographers.
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