The Lagoon nebula is about 4,000 to 6,000 light-years from Earth and is renowned for its bright, intricate structure, featuring a central region of intense star formation. The nebula is illuminated by young, massive stars that energize the surrounding gas and dust, creating a striking mix of glowing red regions and dark, opaque filaments.

Alongside it near the top of the image is the Trifid Nebula, a combination of an emission nebula, reflection nebula, and dark nebula, giving it a distinctive appearance. The nebula is known for its three-lobed shape, which is the result of dark dust lanes obscuring parts of the glowing gas.