Infrared Trifid
Credit:
ESA/ISO,
ISOCAM Team and J. Cernicharo et al.
The Trifid nebula (M20) is a bright star forming region
in Sagittarius, 5000 light years from Earth.
In visible light,
the interstellar gas cloud
is crossed by
dark, obscuring dust lanes
which roughly divide the glowing
emission nebula into three major parts.
But the Trifid nebula's well known appearance is dramatically
reversed in
this infrared view.
At longer infrared
wavelengths
the dust lanes are brighter, radiating more energy than the gas.
This image was recorded by the liquid helium cooled
Infrared Space Observatory (ISO).