Omega Nebula, Swan Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, Lobster Nebula... this rose-colored star forming region is known by many names, but its official name is Messier 17.
Located about 5,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius, the nebula's dust and clouds span 15 light-years across, and span new stars - an estimated 800 in total.
Scientists estimate that the gas in Messier 17 has more than 30,000 times the mass of our sun. "The nebula appears as a complex red structure with some graduation to pink," explains a press release from the European Southern Observatory. "It's coloring is a signature of glowing hydrogen gas. The short-lived blue stars that recently formed in Messier 17 emit enough ultraviolet light to heat up surrounding gas to the extent that it begins to glow brightly. In the central region the colors are lighter, and some parts appear white. This white color is real - it arises as a result of mixing the light from the hottest gas with the starlight reflected by dust."
Messier 17 owes its name to the French comet hunter Charles Messier who included the nebula as the seventeenth object in his famous astronomical catalogue in 1764.
VIDEOS
Click here for a zoom video sequence that takes us from a broad vista of the bright central parts of the Milky Way right into a close-up view of the bright star formation region Messier 17. The final detailed view is from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. Credit: ESO, N. Risinger, DSS/Music: Johan Monell
Click here for a close-up view of the rose-colored star forming region Messier 17. The picture was captured by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is one of the sharpest images showing the entire nebula and not only reveals its full size but also retains fine detail throughout the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars. Credit: ESO/Music: Johan Monell
For more dazzling galactic imagery, click here.
