M8

From South Dublin Astronomical Society

M8
Type	Emission nebula
NGC	NGC 6523
Constellation	Sagittarius
Right Ascension	18h 03.8m
Declination	-24° 23’
Magnitude	6.0
Size	90 x 40 arc min.
Image:M8 messier image.jpg

M8 is a wonderful complex of dark and light. This star-birth region is easily visible to the naked eye though its low altitude from Ireland means that you require the horizon reasonably haze-free. Through binoculars, M8 appears as an elongated greenish-glow broken into segments by dark gas clouds that intrude across the front of the nebula. The great visual observer E.E. Barnard actually labelled each of these dark ribbons separately in his catalog. You’ll also see the open cluster NGC 6530 nested within the nebula These stars were physically born here and are classed as OB-type. A sprinkling of brighter suns is seen towards the western edge. One of these, 9 Sagittarii, is believed to be one of the most luminous stars in the Galaxy and pumps out as much energy as 1·5 million Suns in just one second.