Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sagittarius (Sgr)  ·  Contains:  Checkmark Nebula  ·  IC 4706  ·  IC 4707  ·  Lobster Nebula  ·  M 17  ·  NGC 6618  ·  Swan Nebula  ·  omega Nebula
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The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock
The flying Swan Messier 17
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The flying Swan Messier 17

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The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock
The flying Swan Messier 17
Powered byPixInsight

The flying Swan Messier 17

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Description

Messier 17 in Sagittarius is one of the brightest diffuse nebulae in the sky. Commonly known as the Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or (especially in the southern hemisphere) Lobster nebula, M 17 is just visible to the naked eye under very favorable conditions.

The overall color of the Omega Nebula is reddish, due to light emitted from the hot hydrogen gas excited by the stars that have just formed within it. However, the nebula's brightest region is actually white, apparently the result of light emission from the hottest gas, mixed with reflections of bright starlight from dust. The nebula contains a large amount of dark obscuring material, which has been heated by the hidden young stars, and shines brightly in the infra-red.

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  • The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock
    Original
  • The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock
    B
  • Final
    The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock
    C

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The flying Swan Messier 17, Johannes Bock