Hourglass Nebula in M8 - The Hourglass Nebula in M8, NGC 6523 - View of...

Hourglass Nebula in M8 - The Hourglass Nebula in M8, NGC 6523 - View of the Hourglass Nebula in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 light years, it is a region of star formation whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. Image made with the 1.5m Danish telescope of La Silla in Chile. At the heart of the Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius lies the diminutive Hourglass Nebula. Its gases are excited primarily by two massive O-type supergiants designated Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. These two stars lie to the west of NGC 6530 and are separated from it by a dark lane which divides the nebula like a black lagoon, giving it its name. Twisted funnel shaped clouds are visible close to the illuminating stars, especially Herschel 36. The twists are due to shear forces between the hot excited gases at the surface and the cold interior of the clouds. These stars are probably less than 10,000 years old, about as old as the Hourglass itself, and are evidence of recent star-formation in this very dusty and active region. Image taken with the ESO/Danish 1.5m telescope at La Silla observatory in Chile