                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2023 September 8

                           Star Factory Messier 17
    Image Credit & Copyright: Kim Quick, Terry Hancock, and Tom Masterson
                          (Grand Mesa Observatory)

   Explanation: Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, the star factory
   known as Messier 17 lies some 5,500 light-years away in the nebula-rich
   constellation Sagittarius. At that distance, this 1/3 degree wide field
   of view spans over 30 light-years. The sharp composite, color image
   highlights faint details of the region's gas and dust clouds against a
   backdrop of central Milky Way stars. Stellar winds and energetic light
   from hot, massive stars formed from M17's stock of cosmic gas and dust
   have slowly carved away at the remaining interstellar material,
   producing the cavernous appearance and undulating shapes. M17 is also
   known as the Omega Nebula or the Swan Nebula.

                   Tomorrow's picture: large galaxy cloud
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