The Trifid Nebula is a star-forming region in the Milky Way's Scutum–Centaurus Arm. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula, a reflection nebula, and a dark nebula. It is 4,100 light-years away and has a radius of 21 light-years.

At the bottom of the frame you can see the top of the Lagoon Nebula which appears nearby in the sky.