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Credit & Copyright: Michael Miller,
Jimmy Walker
Explanation:
Ridges of glowing interstellar gas and
dark dust clouds inhabit the
turbulent, cosmic depths of the Lagoon Nebula.
Also known as M8, the bright star forming region is about
5,000 light-years distant.
But it still makes for a popular stop on
telescopic tours of
the constellation Sagittarius, toward the center
of our Milky Way Galaxy.
Dominated by the telltale red emission of ionized hydrogen atoms
recombining with stripped electrons,
this stunning, deep view of the Lagoon is nearly
100 light-years across.
Right of center, the bright, compact, hourglass
shape is gas ionized and sculpted by energetic radiation
and extreme stellar winds from a
massive young star.
In fact, the many bright stars of open cluster NGC 6530
drift within the nebula,
just formed in
the Lagoon several million years ago.
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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: M 8 - Lagoon Nebula
Publications with words: M 8 - Lagoon Nebula
See also: