The Lagoon Nebula in Three Colors
Explanation:
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
M8 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.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
