Another of the star-forming regions of the Milky Way observed by VISTA as part of the survey is Messier 17, also known as the "Omega Nebula." Located around 6,000 light-years from Earth in the ...

Here we see, from left to right and top to bottom: NGC 3576, NGC 6357, Messier 17, NGC 6188, Messier 22 and NGC 3603. All of them are clouds of gas and dust where stars are forming, except Messier ...