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 |
The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, NGC 6523, Sharpless 25, RCW 146, and Gum 72) is a giant emission nebula with an H II region located in the constellation Sagittarius. Discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654, it is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes (the other being the Orion Nebula).