Photo # 2 (Dec 2008)

The center of the Lagoon Nebula is a whirlwind of spectacular star formation. Visible on the upper left, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds, each roughly half a light-year long, have been formed by extreme stellar winds and intense energetic starlight. The tremendously bright nearby star, Hershel 36, lights the area. Vast walls of dust hide and redden other hot young stars. As energy from these stars pours into the cool dust and gas, large temperature differences in adjoining regions can be created generating shearing winds which may cause the funnels. This picture, spanning about 5 light years, was taken in 1995 by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The Lagoon Nebula, also known as M8, lies about 5000 light years distant toward the constellation of Sagittarius.

The Creator of this universe has a sense of beauty and harmony that exceeds all human imagination. We can find inspiration in this awesome creative beauty in a snowflake, in a sunset and in distant galaxies - in the worlds outside ourselve; and in our innere worlds of good wishes and intents manifested into a kind word, a healing touch and a good deed between us and 'them.'
                                     - D.B.