Emission nebula
The Lagoon Nebula
Also M8 · NGC 6523 · Sh 2-25
A large glowing cloud of star birth in Sagittarius, visible to the naked eye from dark sites.
Measured
- Distance
- 4,100 light-years
- Size
- about 110 light-years across (approximate)
- Constellation
- Sagittarius
- Position (J2000)
- RA 18h 03m 37s, Dec −24.39°
How far, from the Sun
4,100 light-years. To cross it:
- Light4,100 years
- Voyager 1's speed72.9 million years
- Driving at 100 km/h44.2 billion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- It spans about 45 by 30 arcminutes, about one and a half full Moons wide.
- It holds the young star cluster NGC 6530, only a few million years old.
How it was found
- Giovanni Hodierna recorded it in 1654.
Where this comes from
- Arias et al. 2006 (1.25 kpc)
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.