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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Trifid Nebula (M20)

Trifid Nebula (M20) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M20 right now?

M20 is located in the constellation Sagittarius. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 18:57 local time. At that moment, M20 will be 29° above the horizon toward the south.

M20 visibility on 2026-08-18

M20 Visible from sunset until early morning

M20 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	09:49	-56°
M20 rise	14:40
Sunset	17:55	26°
Civil sunset	18:24	28°
Twilight start	18:57	29°
M20 transit	19:24	30°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:32	30°
Moonset	20:26	28°
M20 set	00:08
Astronomical observing session ends	02:51	-31°

Track M20 Position Throughout the Night

← 18 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M20 changing position in the night sky.

M20 - Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula (M20) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. The nebula is named for its three-lobed appearance, caused by dark dust lanes that divide the nebula into three parts.

M20 spans about 21 light-years across and is illuminated by a group of hot, young stars. The nebula is approximately 5,200 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.3, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M20 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

The images come from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under contract with NASA, using data from UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), European Southern Observatory (ESO), National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M20

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Object name	M20
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M20 coordinates	18.04503, -22.97189
Center coordinates	18.04503, -22.97189

Trifid Nebula (M20) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Trifid Nebula (M20)

Time	09:37
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-58°
Azimuth	72°

Here you can see the current position of M20 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

Annual motion of Trifid Nebula (M20)

M20 will remain visible until December 6, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Tue, 18 August 2026
Twilight start	19:28
Twilight end	02:44
Twilight duration	7h 17m
Rise	14:36
Set	00:04
Elevation at transit	30°
Transit time	19:20
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 02m 42s", Dec: -22° 58' 18s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Sagittarius

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M20, including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M20

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18.04503°
Declination	-22.97189°
Magnitude	8.50
Constellation	Sagittarius
Elevation	-58.4°
Azimuth	72.4°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

Observation Settings