Lagoon Nebula
Nebula in Sagittarius · 4,100 light-years
🔭 Explore Lagoon Nebula in the 3D map →View Lagoon Nebula images →| Type | Nebula |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Right ascension | 18h 03m 36s |
| Declination | −24° 23′ |
| Object distance | 4,100 light-years |
| Also known as | M8 |
| Imaged by | Hubble |
A giant cloud of glowing hydrogen in Sagittarius, cut by a dark dust lane, actively forming clusters of young stars.
Observing Lagoon Nebula
Lagoon Nebula lies in the constellation Sagittarius and is best placed in the evening sky around June. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the southern hemisphere, and sits low for those far north. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.
See Lagoon Nebula in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Lagoon Nebula and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position and distance curated from published deep-sky catalogues (Messier / NGC / IC and the astronomical literature).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Orion Nebula — nebula
- Ring Nebula — nebula
- Eagle Nebula — nebula
- Carina Nebula — nebula
- Barbell Nebula — nebula