Omega Nebula
Where is the Omega Nebula?
Look southwest, about 18° up at 20:20 in Sagittarius. It sinks lower through the evening and sets at 23:03.
- Rises
- 13:47
- Highest
- 18:25
- Sets
- 23:03
- Best after dark
- 20:20 · 18°
Can I see the Omega Nebula tonight?
From London tonight, the Omega Nebula is above the horizon after dark. It’s highest soon after dark, around 20:20, in the southwest at 18°.
At magnitude 7.0, with its light spread out, it needs binoculars and a dark sky.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does the Omega Nebula look like?
Eyes
Not visible from most places.
Binoculars
A small, bright streak of light in the Milky Way.
Telescope
A bright bar with a hook at one end, like a checkmark. A nebula filter brings out more of its faint extensions.
About the Omega Nebula
The Omega Nebula, also called the Swan or Checkmark Nebula, is one of the brightest star-forming regions in the sky, about 5,000–6,000 light-years away in Sagittarius.
Its brightest part looks like a checkmark or a swan floating on water, lit by young, hot stars hidden inside.
It was discovered in 1745 by Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux and listed by Messier in 1764. John Herschel gave it the name Omega.
The glowing region is several light-years across and is part of a much larger cloud of gas and dust. Hidden inside is a cluster of young, hot stars whose light makes the gas shine.
M17 is one of the few nebulae that shows well in binoculars from suburban skies. Under dark skies, even a small telescope shows its swan-like shape clearly.
Summer evenings from mid-northern latitudes are the best time to look, when Sagittarius is at its highest.
Nearby in the sky
Questions
Why does the Omega Nebula have so many names?
Sources: OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences