Messier 17, also known as the Omega Nebula, is a bright star-forming region located about 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Spanning roughly 15 light-years across, it is part of a much larger cloud of gas and dust. Its distinctive curved shape, often compared to a swan or horseshoe, comes from glowing hydrogen gas energized by young, massive stars forming within the nebula.