Sh 2-31

Sh 2-31, also known by the designation IC 1274, is an emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. It is ionized by the stars HD 165921 and HD 166107. Sh 2-31 is located very close to the Lagoon Nebula.

Discovery

Sh 2-31 was discovered, along with nearby Sh 2-29, by John Herschel on 1st July 1826. He listed it as 'h 1996'. In 1833, he re-discovered it, this time labeling it as 'h 3733'. The distinction between the various nebulae of the region would not be established until 1892, when Edward [Emerson Barnard] photographed that region of the sky.