The constellation Sagittarius is at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy and is full of wonderful deep space gems. At the top of the list is the great Lagoon Nebula, also known as M8. It is the brightest and largest star-forming nebula in our summer sky, revealing large wisps of clouds and bright stars scattered throughout. The larger the telescope, the more nebulosity will be revealed. This target is not to be missed.
Viewing Lagoon Nebula/M8
Level
Easy
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. From a dark, moonless site, the Lagoon Nebula can be seen naked-eye -- it is that bright. See the map above and the links below for help.
Binoculars will reveal some glowing nebulosity and bright 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.
