![amq:
The Omega Nebula
Catalogued as Messier 17 or M17 and as NGC 6618 - is an H II region (a large, low-density cloud of partially ionized gas, in which star formation has recently taken place) in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745. Charles Messier catalogued it in 1764. It is located in the rich starfields of the Sagittarius area of the Milky Way.
The Omega Nebula is between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth and it spans some 15 light-years in diameter. The cloud of interstellar matter, of which this nebula is a part, is roughly 40 light-years in diameter. The total mass of the Omega Nebula is an estimated 800 solar masses (or 800 times the mass of the Sun) … [via]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2vv6eiBG21qave07o1_500.jpg)
amq:
The Omega Nebula
Catalogued as Messier 17 or M17 and as NGC 6618 - is an H II region (a large, low-density cloud of partially ionized gas, in which star formation has recently taken place) in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745. Charles Messier catalogued it in 1764. It is located in the rich starfields of the Sagittarius area of the Milky Way.
The Omega Nebula is between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth and it spans some 15 light-years in diameter. The cloud of interstellar matter, of which this nebula is a part, is roughly 40 light-years in diameter. The total mass of the Omega Nebula is an estimated 800 solar masses (or 800 times the mass of the Sun) … [via]
(via capturethecastle)
