The Omega Nebula, also known as Messier 17, or M17, is a bright emission nebula located in the Sagittarius constellation.

It was named Omega for its resemblance to the Greek letter Omega, Ω.

The nebula has the designation NGC6618 in the New General Catalogue.

It is also known as the Swan Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, Lobster Nebula, or Checkmark Nebula.

Messier 17 is a star forming region with an open cluster, and it is part of a larger cloud of molecular gas found in the direction of Sagittarius.

Messier 17 lies at a distance of between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth.

Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Coquimbo Region, Chile
Data Source: Telescope Live