BLACK DOG OBSERVATORY

M17 (NGC6618) Omega Nebula

Other names for this quite stunning nebula are, The Swan, The Horseshoe, The Checkmark and in the southern hemisphere, The Lobster Nebula. It is a bright emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius that is part of an enormous cloud of gas in which star formation is believed to be still going on. The visible part of the nebula is quite small at 15 light years across. There are about 35 bright stars (obscured by the clouds) which are 30 times brighter and more massive than our Sun. The total mass is about 800 times that of our Sun and it's 5,500 light years away.