APOD: M8: The Lagoon Nebula (2010 Aug 05)

[APOD Robot]

M8: The Lagoon Nebula

Explanation: This beautiful cosmic cloud is a popular stop on telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius. Eighteenth century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged the bright nebula as M8. Modern day astronomers recognize the Lagoon Nebula as an active stellar nursery about 5,000 light-years distant, in the direction of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Remarkable features can be traced through this sharp picture, showing off the Lagoon's filaments of glowing gas and dark dust clouds. Twisting near the center of the Lagoon, the bright hourglass shape is the turbulent result of extreme stellar winds and intense starlight. The alluring view is a color composite of both broad and narrow band images captured while M8 was high in dark, Chilean skies. It records the Lagoon with a bluer hue than typically represented in images dominated by the red light of the region's hydrogen emission. At the nebula's estimated distance, the picture spans about 30 light-years.

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[Guest]

WOW. By far the best photo of M8 I've ever seen...

[owlice]

This image and others of the Lagoon Nebula appear on this thread on the Observation Deck forum of Asterisk.

[orin stepanek]

I like the view of today's APOD!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100805.html
and this one too!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050803.html

[neufer]

<<A legume in botanical writing is a plant in the family Fabaceae, or a fruit of these specific plants. A legume fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel (i.e., pod) and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts. The term legume, is believed to come from the verb legere "to gather." The history of legumes is tied in closely with that of human civilization, appearing early in Asia, the Americas (the common Phaseolus bean in several varieties), and Europe (broad beans) by 6,000 BC, where they became a staple, essential for supplementing protein where there was not enough meat.

Legume plants are notable for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with bacteria (rhizobia) found in root nodules of these plants. This fertilizer costs for farmers and gardeners, and allows legumes to be used in a crop rotation to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen. Legume seed and foliage have a comparatively higher protein content than non-legume material, probably due to the additional nitrogen that legumes receive through nitrogen-fixation symbiosis. [However,] legumes contain relatively low quantities of the essential amino acid methionine. To compensate, some vegetarian cultures serve legumes along with grains, which are low in the essential amino acid lysine, which legumes contain. Thus a combination of legumes with grains can provide all necessary amino acids for vegetarians.>>

[León]

The Lagoon Nebula and its surroundings is a model recycling finishing powder incorporated in the new stars, and well as the rest of dark molecular cloud.

Until the Spanish name sand clock, which is the equivalent of the hourglass is a metaphor indicative of the process.

Starting on the left, look for the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae, the Cat's Paw, the Pipe dark nebula, and the colorful clouds of Rho Ophiuchi and Antares (right).

Click to view full size image

[biddie67]

I think "the neufer" secretly has a hacker's license ......

[neufer]

I think "the neufer" secretly has a hacker's license ......

Would you prefer if I simply rated the APODs:

• 1) WOW!!!
  
  2) I liked this APOD.
  
  3) It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
  
  4) What's that star in the upper left corner
  (; never mind, it was lint on my computer screen. )
  
  5) I didn't like this APOD.
  
  6) BLECH!!!

[orin stepanek]

I think "the neufer" secretly has a hacker's license ......

Would you prefer if I simply rated the APODs:

• 1) WOW!!!
  
  2) I liked this APOD.
  
  3) It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
  
  4) What's that star in the upper left corner
  (; never mind, it was lint on my computer screen. )
  
  5) I didn't like this APOD.
  
  
  6) BLECH!!!

Art; I like you the way you are; don't change unless you do it for yourself!
I'm guilty of expressing a like for APODs! Sometimes they really pop out at you. I don't see too many I don't like. That's why I like this site; many of which wind up on my background. I change the wallpaper once a day; unless I'm away for awhile. Then it may be there for a few days. The lagoon is one of my favorites. It has color; it has star birth; everything! It's fantastic. But I do try to read up and usually the links lead you to more goodies. :)My biggest trouble is that I tend to overlook somethings. ( like the moon in Earth's shadow, the other day.) Anyway Nebulae are neat and tend show you that stars aren't the only thing lurking 'out there'

[EvilJim]

The picture was great, but I loved the fact that the authors (or their HTML staff) listen to TMBG...tag on the preview link of "miasma of plasma" was a nice touch.

[bystander]

The picture was great, but I loved the fact that the authors (or their HTML staff) listen to TMBG...tag on the preview link of "miasma of plasma" was a nice touch.

Huh, nice catch. I didn't see it.

Why Does The Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma)

• The sun is a miasma
  Of incandescent plasma
  The sun's not simply made out of gas
  ...
  The sun is a quagmire
  It's not made of fire
  Forget what you've been told in the past
  ...
  (Plasma!)
  Electrons are free
  (Plasma!)
  A fourth state of matter
  Not gas, not liquid, not solid
  
  (Plasma!)
  Forget that song
  (Plasma!)
  They got it wrong
  That thesis has been rendered invalid

-- They Might Be Giants (2009)

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Written as correction to their previous release:
Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) (1993)

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[mpharo]

That is an awesome display of blue and purple near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The patch of nebulae in the top right center looks almost like a face.