M 17 The Swan Nebula

High-Res

Object: M 17 The Swan Nebula

Messier 17, the Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula is between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth in the rich star field of the Sagittarius Milky Way. With an estimated age of only 1 million years, it spans some 15 light-years in diameter.

This work is a collaborative effort between Howard Hedlund of Astro-Physics, Inc. and Dave Jurasevich, with a total exposure time of 8.5 hours.