Nebula
Lagoon Nebula
Nebula with cluster · M8 · NGC 6523
Nebula with cluster in Sagittarius
Photo: Hewholooks · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The Lagoon Nebula is a giant emission nebula with an H II region located in the constellation Sagittarius. Discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654, it is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~4,100 light-years
Apparent mag.
+4.6
Apparent size
90′ × 40′
Best seen with
Naked eye (dark sky)
Catalogue
M8 · NGC 6523
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 8 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 6523.
- Found in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Visible to the naked eye from a dark, moonless site.
