M17, aka the Swan,
Omega, or Horseshoe
Nebula, is a large
emission nebula on the
northern border of
Sagittarius. The bright
inner portion also
resembles the number
"2" . The larger area of
nebulosity is probably in
the range of 5700 light
years distant, and 40
light years across.
OGS 10" RC @ f/5.7
SBIG ST10XME
CFW8
with standard RGB

RRGB:
 R= 10 min x 12, 1x1
 G= 10 min x 12, 1x1
 B= 10 min x 12, 1x1

Processed with CCDsoft,
AIP4WIN, Neat Image,
and Adobe PS                  
         M17 --  the Swan Nebula
      
Click on image to enlarge