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The Lagoon Nebula (M8) -- Located in the constellation Sagittarius

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HOW TO FIND

THE LAGOON NEBULA:

step 1
Locate the constellation Sagittarius.
find Lagoon Nebula step one
step 2
Find the star Nunki, which represents the Archer's right shoulder.
find Lagoon Nebula step two
step 3
Now find Kaus Borealis, and draw a line from Nunki to Kaus Borealis.
find Lagoon Nebula step three
step 4
Continue your line through Kaus Borealis, running it about the same distance as your first line.
find Lagoon Nebula step four
step 5
Now take a look; you've found the Lagoon Nebula.
find Lagoon Nebula step five

Brooke Shields in "The Blue Lagoon" it ain't, but there's no denying this Lagoon's ageless beauty. We'd tell you, "Come on in, the water's fine," but that just doesn't make sense.

NOW FIND

The Pleiades (7 sisters)

About the Lagoon Nebula

While we certainly agree that the M8 Nebula looks like a lagoon, there's no real background story to its name. We imagine that the astronomers who first contemplated it agreed that it looked very much like a lagoon and left it at that. After all, they were busy giving good names to some of the features that lie within this nebula, like the Bok globules, for example. These excellently named dark, ominous nebulae are actually collapsing protostellar clouds, which also sounds pretty cool.

  • The Lagoon Nebula is located in Sagittarius.
  • It is located 4,100 light years from Earth.
  • Known as The Archer, the mythological Sagittarius wasn't a mere Robin Hood marksman. He was actually a revered centaur- half man and half horse- called Chiron.
  • In Greek mythology, Hercules accidentally shot Chiron with a poisoned arrow- a most ironic fate for a famous archer. Then again, the Greeks practically invented irony.
  • Chiron, unable to die on account of his immortality, eventually made a self-sacrificing deal with the gods that gained their favor. This earned him his place in the night sky.
  • If the stories of the night sky are to be believed, Orion prefers hunting with his dogs. The constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor appear to be following the hunter.

    • Dive in to the Lagoon Nebula

    Telescopes

    Like the Orion Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula can be spotted with the naked eye. As thrilling as that is, nothing beats the revealing view you'll get through a telescope.

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    Telescope Eyepieces

    See the Lagoon Nebula like never before by adding eyepieces to your equipment library. If you're a first-time buyer, our selection of Top-Rated Eyepieces is an excellent place to start.

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    Telescope Accessories

    Because the Lagoon Nebula is a summer object in the Northern Hemisphere, you may want to pack dew prevention accessories to ensure the best view.

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    M42 & M13: courtesy of Tim Hunter and James McGaha, Grasslands Observatory at http://www.3towers.com; M31 & M45: courtesy of Herm Perez, http://home.att.net/~hermperez/default.htm; M8: courtesy of Bob Star, http://www.flickr.com/photos/52031391@N00/70287323 / CC BY 2.0

    helpful information

    2009: The International Year of Astronomy

    With the theme "The Universe, Yours to Discover," a United Nations agency is bringing astronauts, artists, scientists, academics, and others together during the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observation of the heavens in 1609.

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