Lagoon Nebula

Lagoon Nebula
Emission nebula
H II region
	The Lagoon Nebula as imaged by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in very high-resolution, taken on May 28, 2025.
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension	18h 03m 37s
Declination	−24° 23′ 12″
Distance	4,100 ly (1,250 pc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	4.6
Apparent dimensions (V)	90 × 40 arcmins
Constellation	Sagittarius
Physical characteristics
Radius	55 × 20 ly
Designations	Sharpless 25, RCW 146, Gum 72; M8 contains:; NGC 6523, NGC 6530,; Hourglass nebula
	See also: Lists of nebulae

The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, NGC 6523, Sharpless 25, RCW 146, and Gum 72) is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula and has an H II region.

The Lagoon Nebula was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654^[6]^[7] and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the eye from mid-northern latitudes. Seen with binoculars, it appears as a distinct cloud-like patch with a definite core. Within the nebula is the open cluster NGC 6530.^[8]

^ "Trifid and Lagoon (Image)". NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
^ ^a ^b ^c "M 8". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
^ Arias, J. I.; Barbá, R. H.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Morrell, N. I.; Rubio, M. (2006). "The infrared Hourglass cluster in M8". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 366 (3): 739–757. arXiv:astro-ph/0506552. Bibcode:2006MNRAS.366..739A. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09829.x. S2CID 13907667.
^ ^a ^b Stoyan, Ronald (2008). Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. Cambridge University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-521-89554-5.
^ "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for Hourglass Nebula. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
^ Vowler, Faith; Bolles, Dana (12 September 2024). "Messier 8". NASA Science. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025. M8 was discovered in 1654
^ Kronberg, Guy McArthur, Hartmut Frommert, Christine. "Messier Object 8". messier.seds.org. Retrieved 11 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ N. F. H. Tothill; Marc Gagné; B. Stecklum; M. A. Kenworthy (2008). "The Lagoon Nebula and its Vicinity". In Bo Reipurth (ed.). Handbook of Star-Forming Regions: Volume 2 The Southern Sky. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-58381-671-4.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[1] "Trifid and Lagoon (Image)". NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-26.

[simbad-3] "M 8". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-11-15.

[Ariasetal2006-4] Arias, J. I.; Barbá, R. H.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Morrell, N. I.; Rubio, M. (2006). "The infrared Hourglass cluster in M8". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 366 (3): 739–757. arXiv:astro-ph/0506552. Bibcode:2006MNRAS.366..739A. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09829.x. S2CID 13907667.

[Stoyan-5] Stoyan, Ronald (2008). Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. Cambridge University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-521-89554-5.

[simbad2-6] "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for Hourglass Nebula. Retrieved 2006-12-22.

[7] Vowler, Faith; Bolles, Dana (12 September 2024). "Messier 8". NASA Science. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025. M8 was discovered in 1654

[8] Kronberg, Guy McArthur, Hartmut Frommert, Christine. "Messier Object 8". messier.seds.org. Retrieved 11 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[9] N. F. H. Tothill; Marc Gagné; B. Stecklum; M. A. Kenworthy (2008). "The Lagoon Nebula and its Vicinity". In Bo Reipurth (ed.). Handbook of Star-Forming Regions: Volume 2 The Southern Sky. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-58381-671-4.

[1]

[a]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]