M 17 (OC+N)
Open Cluster + Nebula in Sagittarius
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18h 20m 47.7s | -16° 10′ 21.0″ | 40.0′ | 6.0 | 13.4 | EN+OCL; 3, 3, 3 | OC+N | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 60′ × 60′
Background
M17 is the Swan Nebula (or Omega Nebula) — one of the brightest emission nebulae in the sky, 5,500 light-years away in Sagittarius. The distinctive “swan” or “2” shape comes from a bright bar of nebulosity truncated by a dark dust lane.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Beautiful through the Club's 10-inch with a low-power eyepiece. A bright cloud of nebulosity with an intervening band of dust creating the illusion of a thin arc forming the swan's “neck”. A perfectly placed bright star marks the swan's eye. One of my favourites of the night.(Saturday, June 2025)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)