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> The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius.
The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius.
author: R.Gendler/Novapix
reference: a-neb65-23004
Image Size 300 DPI: 68 * 41 cm
The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star-forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O-type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as the "hourglass nebula" and its gases are excited primarily by two massive O-type supergiants designated Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. These two stars lie to the west of NGC 6530 and are separated from it by a dark lane dividing the nebula like a black lagoon, giving it its name. Twisted funnel shaped clouds are visible close to the illuminating stars, especially Herschel 36. They are due to shear forces between the hot excited gases at the surface and the cold interior of the clouds. At least 60 B-type giants are embedded in the nebula which make M8 3 to 4 times richer in massive stars than the Orion nebula.
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