Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8)

Visible through the night in June and July

Messier 8 would be an easy naked-eye object if it were high in the dark winter sky, but low in the bright summer sky it’s more challenging. However, under a dark sky it can be glimpsed as a definite smudge. Through binoculars and small telescopes it looks like a pair of grey smudges.