Description
Overview:
The Lagoon Nebula is a nubula which is located in the constellation Sagittarius atthe coordinates RA 18 03.8 and Declination -24 23.
It is 5,200 light years fromthe planet Earth making it the 34th furthest Messier catalog object from Earth. It has a size of 60 x 35 arc minutes.
Designation:
The Lagoon Nebula is one of 12 nebulae included in Charles Messier's Catalog of deep sky objects. It is known by the Messier Catalog number M8. It has an NGC catalog number of NGC 6523.
Discoverer:
The Lagoon Nebula was discovered by the astronomer John Flamsteed in 1680.
Brightness:
Compared to other nebulae, Lagoon Nebula is a relatively luminous nebula with a visual magnitude of 6.
