Mounted image 139: Stars are born in the dust-banded Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula, a large star-forming region in Sagittarius, is so named for the dark dust bands that trisect its glowing heart. The Trifid Nebula is a rare com­bination of three nebula types that reveal both newly formed stars and hint at future star birth. This image was captured with the Wide Field Imager camera attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.

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