Messier 17

Constellation: Sagittarius

Messier 17 (NGC 6618), also known as the Omega nebula, is an H II region in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is considered one of the brightest and most massive star-forming regions of our galaxy. Messier 17 is located between 5’000 and 6’000 Ly from Earth and spans about 15 Ly. The total mass of of the Omerga nebula is estimated around 800 solar masses. NGC 6618 is an open cluster embedded in the nebulosity that causes the gases of the nebula to shine due to radiation from these hot, young stars. It is also one of the youngest clusters known, with an age of just 1 million years. Link to interactive sky chart.

Dates:

Data acquired remotely in June 2025 using Martin’s equipment.

His telescope is located in Chile (Observatorio El Sauce).

Colour palette is HSO.

Telescope & Mount:

PlaneWave CDK17 (F6.8) on a Software Bisque Paramount ME mount.

Imaging:

Camera: SBIG STXL11002, FW8G, AO

Data:
Astrodon Ha: 14x1800s
Astrodon O3: 23x1800s
Astrodon S2: 31x1800s

Total integration time: 34h