The Trifid Nebula

After being introduced to NeatImage for removing noise, I ran the image of M 20 through the trial version of the software. As you can see it has improved the look of the image. (This was the first time using the software and I now believe that the noise filter settings were too extreme leaving the image too soft.)  After removal of the noise, you're able to stretch the image a bit further, thus bringing out more of the dim areas of the image.

L 20 X 1 minute binned 1X1
RGB 20 X 1 minute binned 2X2

Charles Messier discovered this object on June 5, 1764, and described it as a cluster of stars of 8th to 9th magnitude, enveloped in nebulosity, where the remark on nebulosity follows only after the description of nearby M21, and includes that object.

The Trifid Nebula M20 is famous for its three-lobed appearance. This may have caused William Herschel, who normally carefully avoided to number Messier's objects in his catalog, to assign four different numbers to parts of this nebula: H IV.41 (cataloged May 26, 1786) and H V.10, H V.11, H V.12 (dated July 12, 1784). That he numbered this object at all may have its reason in the fact that Messier merely described it as 'Cluster of Stars.' The name 'Trifid' was first used by John Herschel to describe this nebula; this astronomer assigned only one catalog entry to the whole object (h 1991, h 3718, GC 4355) which became J.L.E. Dreyer's NGC 6514.