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A magnificent object, easily seen to the naked eye as a large hazy patch.
M8 is a bright and very large emission nebula with an embedded open cluster.
This cluster of young stars is heating the nebula's gas and causing it to emit light.
In binoculars the dark lane (the lagoon) that divides the nebula's brighter regions and
gives this object its name becomes apparent.
A small telescope begins to reveal this nebula's intricate folds and
dark regions amidst brighter areas.
Dark 'Bok globules' in the nebula mark dense clouds of gas and
dust which are the site of star formation.
The Trifid nebula lies close to M8 and both nebulae can be seen in the same binocular field of view.
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