Explanation: A variety of stars and nebulae can be found towards the constellation of Sagittarius. Dense fields of stars laced with dark lanes of dust crowd this region only a few degrees from the center of our Galaxy. Prominent nebulae include the red Lagoon Nebula (M8) in the lower right and the multicolored Trifid Nebula (M20) in the upper right. Recent high-resolution images of these nebulae show unusual features such as funnel-shaped clouds and proplyds that are not well understood.

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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