M8 Lagoon Nebula

The Lagoon Nebula, also known as Messier 8 (M8), Sharpless 25, and Gum 72, is a large emission nebula featuring an H II region located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae that can be faintly seen with the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes, the other being the Orion Nebula.

The Lagoon Nebula is situated approximately 4,000 to 6,000 light-years away from Earth and spans about 110 by 50 light-years, appearing as 90′ by 40′ in the sky as observed from Earth. While long-exposure photographs show it as pink, it typically appears gray when viewed through binoculars or telescopes due to the human eye’s limited color sensitivity in low-light conditions. The nebula contains a young open cluster within its structure.

The Lagoon Nebula features several distinctive structures, including:

– Multiple Bok globules cataloged by E. E. Barnard (B88, B89, and another designated globule)

– A funnel-shaped structure formed by ultraviolet radiation from a hot O-type star

– The centrally located Hourglass Nebula, which was named by John Herschel and is distinct from the Engraved Hourglass Nebula in the constellation Musca

Observations conducted in 2006 revealed four Herbig–Haro objects within the Hourglass structure, providing direct evidence of ongoing star formation through accretion processes.he Hourglass structure, providing direct evidence of ongoing star formation through accretion processes.