by Rod Pommier
M17, the Swan,or Omega nebula in Sagittarius is a star forming region like the Orion Nebula. The distance to M17 is about 5000 light-years.
Telescope: Celestron Compustar C14 at f/7
Location: Pommier Observatory, Portland, Oregon
Date/Time: 7/20/2009, 6:16 UT
Camera: Canon 20D DSLR, unmodified
Exposure: 170x30 seconds=1hour 25 minutes at ISO 1600, calibrated with bias, dark and flat field frames