VISTA telescope captures new M17 nebula image

M17 is a beautiful cosmic region known by several names, including the Omega Nebula, the Swan Nebula, and the Checkmark Nebula. This stellar nursery is complicated, as it is mostly in the Sagittarius constellation but extends into Serpens. A new image of M17 was taken by the VISTA telescope in Chile. This image shows the area in infrared light, which helps to see through the dust hiding the star cluster forming inside. M17 is located about 5,500 light-years away from Earth. The image is part of a much larger infrared map. This map covers an area that is equivalent to 8,600 Full Moons. It took 13 years for astronomers to complete the survey, and during that time, they captured more than 1.5 billion objects. The beauty of M17 continues to amaze scientists and sky gazers alike.