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> The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius
The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius
author: J.Lodriguss/Novapix
reference: a-neb65-23017
Image Size 300 DPI: 32 * 21 cm
M8 is an amazing stellar nursery. Hot young stars that formed out of the hydrogen gas in the nebula cause it to glow in the light of ionized hydrogen at the hydrogen-alpha wavelength of 656nm.
The Lagoon Nebula gets its name from the distinctive dark lane that runs through the heart of the nebula, just to the west of open cluster NGC 6530. Bok globules, small dark knots which are condensing protostellar clouds, can be seen sprinkled throughout the nebula. The brightest part of M8 has an apparent size of about 1 degree on the sky (the size of two full Moons) and is 100 light years across in space. It is located about 5,200 light years away.
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