Observer's Notes: We nicknamed the Lagoon the "Orion of Summer," because of its similarity to the Great Orion Nebula. In fact, this large nebula is arguably brighter to the naked eye than Orion, perhaps because Orion is surrounded by bright stars while the Lagoon is not. The Lagoon would be equally impressive in a telescope as Orion if it weren't for its far southerly declination. (Southern Hemisphere obsevers get a clearer view of the Lagoon because it appears higher in the sky to them.) The Lagoon is located in the heart of the Summer Milky Way, north of the spout of the "teapot" in Sagittarius. Many subtle tendrils of nebulosity can be gleaned from this nebula, as well as dark voids within. On the Eastern half of the nebula you will find the open cluster NGC 6530. Just north of the Lagoon lies the Trifid Nebula, another Messier target, although harder to see in small telescopes. Also don't miss the globular clusters NGC 6544 and NGC 6553, which are close to the Lagoon, to the southeast.