Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2019 November 4 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Near the Center of the Lagoon Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Zhuoqun Wu, Chilescope Explanation: Stars are battling gas and dust in the Lagoon Nebula but the [4]photographers are winning. Also known as M8, [5]this photogenic nebula is [6]visible even without binoculars towards the [7]constellation of the Archer ([8]Sagittarius). The energetic processes of [9]star formation create not only the colors but the [10]chaos. The [11]glowing gas results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar [12]hydrogen gas and trace amounts of [13]sulfur, and [14]oxygen gases. The dark [15]dust [16]filaments that lace [17]M8 were created in the atmospheres of cool [18]giant stars and in the [19]debris from [20]supernovae explosions. The light from [21]M8 we see today left about [22]5,000 years ago. Light takes about 50 years to cross this section of [23]M8. Tomorrow's picture: super spirals __________________________________________________________________ [24]< | [25]Archive | [26]Submissions | [27]Index | [28]Search | [29]Calendar | [30]RSS | [31]Education | [32]About APOD | [33]Discuss | [34]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell ([38]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [39]Specific rights apply. [40]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC & [44]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1911/M8_Wu_966.jpg 3. mailto: skywalkerww37 @at@ 163 .dot. com 4. https://purrfectlove.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/catwithcamera-1280x720.jpg 5. https://www.astrobin.com/qyjhg8/B/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html 7. http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html 8. http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html 9. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031228.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html 12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur 14. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html 17. http://messier.seds.org/m/m008.html 18. http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html 20. http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/supernovae1.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181112.html 22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_millennium_BC 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090519.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191103.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 33. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=191104 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191105.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 44. http://www.mtu.edu/