Mounted image 136: The Omega Nebula and its hot young stars

ESO’s 3.58-metre New Technology ­Telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile took the data for this composite image of the Omega Nebula (Messier 17, or NGC 6618). Located about 5500 light-years from Earth and extending over 15 light-years, the Omega Nebula is in the constellation of Sagittarius. The gas and dust of the nebula are lit from within by young, hot stars embedded in the cloud.

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