Sagittarius-Serpens Mosaic

Between the constellations Serpens and Sagittarius stretches a chain of luminous nebulae extending from north to south across the sky. In this mosaic, north is oriented to the left. Particularly striking are the magnificent gas nebulae Messier 16 (the Eagle Nebula) and Messier 17 (the Omega Nebula). Less well known, but no less intriguing, is the northernmost nebula of this region, NGC 6604. The expansive star cloud at the upper right edge of the image is cataloged as Messier 24. At the right edge of the frame, the reflection nebula IC 1284 shimmers subtly. Altogether, this area ranks among the most impressive and richly structured nebular landscapes of our Milky Way.