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Credit & Copyright: Subaru
Telescope
(NAOJ),
Hubble Space
Telescope;
Processing: Robert Gendler & Roberto Colombari
Explanation:
What's happening at the center of this nebula?
Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation,
the star factory known as
Messier 17
lies some 5,500 light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation
Sagittarius.
At that distance, this degree wide field of view spans
almost 100 light-years.
The sharp,
composite, color image
utilizing data from space and ground based telescopes,
follows faint details of the region's gas and dust clouds
against a backdrop of central
Milky Way stars.
Stellar winds and energetic light
from hot, massive stars formed from
M17's
stock of cosmic gas and dust have slowly carved away at the
remaining interstellar material
producing the cavernous appearance and
undulating shapes.
M17 is
also known as the
Omega Nebula or the
Swan Nebula.
Processing: Robert Gendler & Roberto Colombari
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: star formation - emission nebula
Publications with words: star formation - emission nebula
See also: