Nebula
Lagoon Nebula (M8)
A giant H II region visible to the naked eye in Sagittarius
Towards the Galactic centre in Sagittarius; a bright emission nebula 110 × 50 light-years in size. Its "Hourglass" structure and Bok globules show the early stages of star formation.
| Type | Nebula |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 1,250 pc (4,100 light-years) |
| Apparent magnitude | 6,0 |
| Size | 110 × 50 light-years |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 03m 40.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −24° 22′ 48″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 66° N. South of latitude 66° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 4,077 years ago. At that time the first farming villages were being founded; there was no writing yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 72 million years.