Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Spitzer's Trifid

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 13, 2020 is “Spitzer's Trifid,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: J. Rho ( SSC/Caltech ), JPL-Caltech , NASA. The original explanation runs about 146 words.

Spitzer's Trifid
Credit: Image Credit: J. Rho ( SSC/Caltech ), JPL-Caltech , NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“The Trifid Nebula , also known as Messier 20, is easy to find with a small telescope. About 30 light-years across and 5,500 light-years distant it’s a popular stop for cosmic tourists in the nebula rich constellation Sagittarius .”

— APOD editors, February 13, 2020

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 13, 2020
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: J. Rho ( SSC/Caltech ), JPL-Caltech , NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 146 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 13 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.