The Southern Cliff in the Lagoon . ... Fisica, Univ. de La Serena ), ICATE-CONICET, Gemini Observatory/AURA Explanation: Undulating bright ridges and dusty clouds cross this close-up of the nearby star forming region M8 , also known as the Lagoon Nebula . A sharp, false-color composite of narrow band visible and broad band near-infrared data from the 8-meter Gemini South Telescope , the entire view spans about 20 light-years through a region of the nebula sometimes called the Southern Cliff. ...