Here is my take on M!7, also known as the Omega Nebula (or Swan Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, and Horseshoe Nebula) is between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth and it spans some 15 light-years in diameter Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way. The Omega Nebula was discovered in 1745 by the Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux. Like many nebulae, this giant cosmic cloud of interstellar matter is a star forming region in the Sagittarius or Sagittarius-Carina arm of our Milky Way galaxy. It is estimated to be about 1 million years old (what a birthday cake…) The cloud of interstellar matter of which this nebula is a part is roughly 40 light-years in diameter and has a mass of 30,000 x the mass of our sun.

The Omega Nebula is just on the limit of naked eye detection in good conditions, with clear, dark skies and no light pollution. You can observe it in low-powered telescopes and binoculars.

This was taken on the night of September 27 and consists of 15 x 240 second exposures and supporting files.