M8 - The Lagoon Nebula

M8 is a large nebula about 4,000 light-years from Earth. It is a summer showpiece located in the constellation Sagittarius and is called the lagoon nebula.  The nebula covers a large area of sky and is an easy target for astrophotographers.

This image was taken using a 6-inch F5 reflector and a modified Canon T3i set at ISO 800.  The resultant image is a stack of six five-minute exposures.

There are several dark nebula in the nebula.  The most prominent are Barnard 88, 89, and 296.

 

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