NGC 6530 and M8, the Lagoon Nebula, in BinoSky, a guide to astronomy with binoculars.


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Open cluster NGC6530, and the Lagoon Nebula, M8, in Sagittarius

A map of the star field. Magnitudes are given without a decimal point, e.g. 67 is to be interpreted as magnitude 6.7.

Comments
A three full magnitudes dimmer than the Orion Nebula, this can most charitably be desribed as an interesting challenge for the binocular observer. Not worth attempting except under optimal conditions. As is often the case with nebulae, it can be hard to tell that the bright core is anything other than a star.

60-degree field of view

Data for NGC6530 (Janes, Duke, and Lynga, 1987)

RA 18 05

dec -24 21

total V magnitude 4.6

NGC number 6530

Trumpler class II 2 m n

angular diameter 14'

distance 1500 pc

age (Myr) 10

integrated B-V .14

observed stars 113

earliest sp. class O5

brightest star 6.0

Data for M8 (Janes, Duke, and Lynga, 1987)

total V magnitude 5.8

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	A map of the star field. Magnitudes are given without a decimal point, e.g. 67 is to be interpreted as magnitude 6.7.

	Comments A three full magnitudes dimmer than the Orion Nebula, this can most charitably be desribed as an interesting challenge for the binocular observer. Not worth attempting except under optimal conditions. As is often the case with nebulae, it can be hard to tell that the bright core is anything other than a star.
60-degree field of view

Data for NGC6530 (Janes, Duke, and Lynga, 1987)
RA	18 05
dec	-24 21
total V magnitude	4.6
NGC number	6530
Trumpler class	II 2 m n
angular diameter	14'
distance	1500 pc
age (Myr)	10
integrated B-V	.14
observed stars	113
earliest sp. class	O5
brightest star	6.0