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LiveScience
LiveScience
Jamie Carter

A cotton candy nebula glows in Vera C. Rubin Observatory's first close-up image: Space photo of the week

Rubin Chile NASA
The Trifid Nebula, as seen by the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory. (Image credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA)
QUICK FACTS

What it is: Trifid Nebula (Messier 20)

Where it is: 5,000 light-years distant in the constellation Sagittarius.

When it was shared: June 23, 2025

This week, researchers revealed the long-awaited debut images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Among its first batch — alongside one of the most detailed snapshots of space ever taken — was this spectacular image of the Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20. The stunning image from the world's largest digital camera showcases the colorful object at its best.

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