M17 - Omega nebula

[Giancarlo Melis]

The Omega Nebula, or M17, is one of the brightest and most spectacular nebulas, often featured in the old astronomy books I read as a child. This star-forming region, located in the constellation Sagittarius about 5,000-6,000 light-years from Earth, has captured my attention since I was young. Spanning 15 light-years and composed of ionized gas and dust, it shines thanks to the massive young stars within it. Fascinated by the historic images in star atlases, having moved to a dark place with an unobstructed southern horizon, I decided to capture M17 with my amateur equipment.

Telescope: Celestron RASA 8

Imaging camera: ZWO ASI 183 MC-Pro

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI 120 M-Mini

Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro

Filters: IDAS NBZ

Accessories: ZWO ASI AIR Plus, ZWO EAF 2.0

Lights: 30x10" + 160x120"

Darks: 10x10" + 10x120"

 

Thank you for watching.

Giancarlo.