Laguna Nebula on a Starry Background

Laguna Nebula on a Starry Background

This is a wide-angle image of the Laguna Nebula taken at the observatory of the Dark Sky Preserve in Alzewe (Portugal). Also called M8, this nebula is a magnificent bright complex of hot gas and a dark nebula in the constellation Sagittarius.

The starry sea shines in the large-scale nebula Laguna in a photograph of space. The nebula, also referred to as Messier 8 (M8), is a cluster of hot gas and a dark nebula residing in the constellation Sagittarius. 5,000 light-years distant from us. Shines with a magnitude of 5, which is enough for observation without the use of magnifying devices.

Inside this territory, the energetic processes of the birth of stars form chaos and a magnificent color combination. The red color is created by the high-energy star light striking interstellar hydrogen. Dark dust filaments inside the nebula appeared in the atmosphere of cold giant stars and in the residual materials from the supernova explosion. Small dark knots and globules condensing the protostellar clouds hint at the ongoing process of stellar birth.

Nebula got its own name (Laguna) because of the characteristic band that penetrates the center. To her left is the bright star cluster NGC 6523. The nebula is so huge that it is 110 light-years wide. The final photograph combines 22 frames with a total exposure time of 66 minutes.

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