M8: The Lagoon Nebula

The bright Lagoon Nebula is home to a diverse array of astronomical objects. Particularly interesting sources include a bright open cluster of stars and several energetic star-forming regions . The general red glow is caused by luminous hydrogen gas , while the dark filaments are caused by absorption by dense lanes of dust . The Lagoon Nebula , also known as M 8 and NGC 6523, lies about 5000 light-years away. The Lagoon Nebula can be located with binoculars in the constellation of Sagittarius spanning a region over three times the diameter of a full Moon .