M8 Lagoon Nebula

The Lagoon Nebula is classified as an emission nebula as well as an H-II region. The nebula was discovered by Italian Astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna in 1654 and is best observed in August.

The Lagoon nebula is located in the constellation Sagittarius roughly 5200 light-years from Earth. The nebula has its own star cluster and these massive stars embedded within the nebula generate large amounts of ultraviolet radiation, ionizing the surrounding interstellar gas making it shine.

Constellation Sagittarius

Distance about 4,100 light-years from Earth