Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sagittarius (Sgr)  ·  Contains:  Checkmark Nebula  ·  IC 4701  ·  IC 4706  ·  IC 4707  ·  Lobster Nebula  ·  M 17  ·  NGC 6596  ·  NGC 6618  ·  Swan Nebula  ·  omega Nebula
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Omega Nebula (NGC 6618), Bruno Rota Sargi
Omega Nebula (NGC 6618)
Powered byPixInsight

Omega Nebula (NGC 6618)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Omega Nebula (NGC 6618), Bruno Rota Sargi
Omega Nebula (NGC 6618)
Powered byPixInsight

Omega Nebula (NGC 6618)

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

The  Omega Nebula is an active star-forming region located in the constellation Sagittarius, approximately 5,000 to 6,000 light-years from Earth. This young nebula, around one million years old, spans about 15 light-years in diameter and contains enough material to form about 30,000 stars like the Sun. Composed primarily of ionized hydrogen, the nebula shines brightly due to the ultraviolet radiation emitted by nearby massive stars. Discovered in 1745 by Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux and included in Charles Messier's catalog in 1764, Messier 17 is of great interest to astronomers because of its intense star-forming activity and rich chemical composition. It is visible with small telescopes in the constellation Sagittarius, near the galactic plane.

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

Omega Nebula (NGC 6618), Bruno Rota Sargi