<p>Condensing dust and gas light up newborn stars in a picture of Messier 8, aka the Lagoon Nebula, released on April 19 by the <a id="ol4n" title="European Southern Observatory" href="http://www.eso.org/public/">European Southern Observatory</a>.<br><br>About a hundred light-years across, the stellar nursery is among the few such nebulae visible to the naked eye. It boasts a number of huge, hot stars that are sculpting the clouds with their strong radiation.</p>

Starry Lagoon

Condensing dust and gas light up newborn stars in a picture of Messier 8, aka the Lagoon Nebula, released on April 19 by the European Southern Observatory.

About a hundred light-years across, the stellar nursery is among the few such nebulae visible to the naked eye. It boasts a number of huge, hot stars that are sculpting the clouds with their strong radiation.

Image courtesy ESO

Space Photos This Week: Star Lagoon, Iceland Ash

Newborn stars swim in a lagoon, satellites spy Iceland's ash, a webcam catches a fiery meteor, and more in the week's best space pictures.

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