M8, the Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius, one of the finest of the diffuse 
nebulae.  Known perhaps as early as 1680, M8 is plainly visible to the 
naked eye, and in a small telescope can be seen to envelop the open 
cluster NGC 6530, with which it is intrinsically connected.  With a 
diameter of over 0.5 degrees, it is best viewed with a wide field 
eyepiece, or photographed with a wide field telescope, as was done here.  
The distance to the nebula is roughly 5150 light years, and in actual 
extent M8 measures about 60 by 44 light years.  The radial velocity of 
the nebula is approximately 5.5 miles per second in recession.

Object: M8 (NGC 6523)
Coordinates: Right Ascension 18hr 00.7m, Declination -24deg 23m
Constellation: Sagittarius
Size: 90 x 40 minutes of arc
Magnitude: 6

Telescope focal length: 500mm
Telescope aperture: 80mm
Camera: Santa Barbara Instruments ST-6
Exposure: 160s (8 @ 20s)
Observer(s): Dr. Greg Latta and Teddy Latta