Our journey continues along the Milky Way Galactic Core and just a stone’s throw away from the Eagle Nebula (16)… well not nearly or remotely as close. Meet my version of the cosmic romantic bird, the Swan Nebula, catalogued as Messier 17 (or M17). M17 is also called the Omega Nebula, Check Mark Nebula, the Lobster Nebula, and the Horseshoe Nebula. I won’t opine on the reason behind all of these names, but this beauty is a dense hydrogen region located some 5,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius. This nebulous region is said to a radius of roughly 11 million light years. Mind blowing!!! 🤯
Honestly, I looked long and hard to find the swan in this image. When I found it I could not “unsee” it 😊. Let me know if you see it. In the meantime, remember to look up and experience an amazing Universe!
Gear: AA Hypercam 26C, Askar 80 PHQ, HEM27 mount, Optolong L-Ultimate; ZWO OAG + 120mc
Exif: 12 x 5-min lights; Gain 200, Offset 3, TEC @ 10 degrees; 20 darks, 20 flats, 20 dark flats
SharpCap, PHD2; AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight; Photoshop