Messier 17: The Omega Nebula | WIYN Telescope

Messier 17: The Omega Nebula | WIYN Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. M17, also informally known as the “Omega Nebula” is one of the largest and brightest star-forming regions inside our galaxy. Its size and brightness make it one of the first nebulae to be discovered. This occurred in 1745. The hydrogen gas that gives it its distinctive red color is energized by hot, massive blue stars embedded in the nebula.

Distance: ~5,500 light years

The image was generated with observations in the Hydrogen-alpha (orange), Oxygen [OIII] (green) and Sulfur [SII] (blue) filters. In this image, North is left, East is down.

The Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOIRLab (WIYN) Observatory is situated atop Kitt Peak National Observatory, a partnership consisting of University of California Irvine, Purdue University, the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, and NASA.

Learn more about the WIYN Observatory:

https://www.wiyn.org/0.9m/index.html

Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2020

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