NGC6523 (M8) Diffuse Nebula

36. NGC6523 (M8) Diffuse Nebula The famous Lagoon nebula is one of the few great gas clouds available to amateurs. This vast complex of bright and dark nebulosity is full of swirls, though its appearance is very unlike that of the Orion nebula. The dark lane that crosses the center of Me is responsible for its popular name. This lane is sometimes invisible in a 3-inch, though a 5-inch is always adequate. A sparse open cluster of about 25 stars lies near the eastern edge of the nebulosity.