Space Photos of the Week: Swooning for the Swan Nebula
Stellar nurseries are some of the most photogenic regions in the universe. The gas and dust of these nebulas consist of different elements that appear in our telescopes and cameras as a variety of colors. The colors can reveal the temperatures of this gas as well as the types of materials present. This week we are on a journey to the Swan Nebula, also known as Omega or M17. Scientists only recently realized that this nebula was formerly two separate objects that merged some time ago—creating the characteristic swan shape. Strap in for some star forming because this nebula has everything: gas, dust, stars.
Want more to ogle? Wander over to this sector of the WIRED universe.