M17 · Omega Nebula

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Credit Hillary Mathis, N.A.Sharp, REU program/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA · CC BY 4.0

Chinese name	欧米伽星云
Type	Emission nebula
Constellation	Sgr
RA	18h21m
Dec	−16°
Apparent magnitude	6ᵐ
Hemisphere	Both hemispheres
Best season	Summer
Difficulty	Easy
Focal length	中长焦 800–1200mm

About

The Omega Nebula, also called the Swan Nebula, lies about 5,500 light-years away in Sagittarius and is among the most massive and luminous star-forming regions in the Galaxy. Its bright core forms a swimming-swan arc, the glowing edge of a large ionized hydrogen region revealed where foreground dust thins. Star formation is intense here, hiding over a thousand young stars within dense molecular clouds. Its high surface brightness makes the bright arc easy to see even in small telescopes. Colorful and high in contrast, it is a hugely popular summer Milky Way target for both observers and imagers.