MESSIER OBJECT 8 - THE LAGOON NEBULA  Approximately 5,000 light years distant in the constellation Sagittarius. It is an active region of star formation. The Lagoon Nebula gets its name from the dark band separating the brightest parts of the nebulosity.  The dominant red coloration is due to the high concentration of hydrogen gas. Also noticeable are dark filaments and globules obscuring the light beyond. The bright open star cluster to the right is NGC 6530.

This emission nebula is so large that this image captures only it's central region. It is an easy naked-eye object covering an area equal to three times the diameter of the Moon. Look for it above the spout of the "Teapot" asterism in Sagittarius. Binoculars will reveal it to be a hazy cotton ball-like object with a bright star cluster to one side.

Imaged at Tres Placitas Observatory Santa Fe, NM July 2, 2003

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Last modified: January 1st, 2009