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 . When viewed by eye, cluster light is dominated by an overall red glow that is caused by luminous hydrogen gas , while the dark filaments are caused by absorption by dense lanes of dust . The above picture , from the Curtis-Schmidt Telescope , however, shows the nebula's emission in three exact colors specifically emitted by hydrogen , oxygen , and sulfur . 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 .
6 October 2002
The Lagoon Nebula in Three Colors
