Silhouette disc seen in M 17

Ks-band image of the silhouette disc obtained with the NACO Adaptive Optics camera at the 8.2-m VLT YEPUN telescope at Paranal. White contours delineate the densest part of the disc (inner torus). The visible stars (slightly elongated due to the adaptive optics technique) are embedded within the molecular cloud but are probably unrelated to the disc. The insert shows a deconvolved zoomed version of the central object of about 450 x 240 AU; its major axis is tilted by about 15 degrees against the direction perpendicular to the disc.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0416c
Type:Observation
Release date:12 May 2004
Related releases:eso0416
Size:800 x 810 px

About the Object

Name:Messier 17
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission
Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Distance:5500 light years
Category:Nebulae

Image Formats

Large JPEG
452.1 KB
Screensize JPEG
510.4 KB

Wallpapers

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Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Infrared
K
Very Large Telescope
NACO