The constellation Sagittarius is at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy and there are wonderful nebulas around it including four great ones: Lagoon, Trifid, Omega and Eagle. From a dark site all of these can be found in binoculars but they are at their best in a telescope.
After finding the Lagoon and Trifid, the Omega, or M8, is the next one to find. It is bright but not as bright as the Lagoon. It is actually one of the most massive star forming regions in our Milky Way Galaxy. There are about 800 newborn stars plus another 1,000 just starting to form. It is also known as the Swan Nebula.
Viewing Omega Nebula/M8
Level
Moderate
Rating
Best Viewing
June to October
Find
Start by finding the teapot asterism in the constellation of Sagittarius. Then use the two stars that form the spout including bright Kaus Media to form a triangle with the Lagoon Nebula as the third point. Using binoculars, look up (north) to find the Trifid Nebula and then further up and left (north-east) to find the bright Omega Nebula. See the map above and the links below for help.
Binoculars will reveal glowing nebulosity and stars.
For the best views, use a telescope. Begin with low power to center it. Then switch to higher power to see the beautiful wisps of gases and countless bright stars. The larger the telescope, the better the views. Take time to enjoy the view! Try drawing it.
