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Star Formation Revealed Around M17

As this juxtaposition of visible light (top) and infrared light (bottom) composite images illustrates, there's more to the M17 nebula than meets the eye. The Spitzer Space Telescope's infrared view reveals furious star formation taking place in the dark swath to the right of the well-lit M17 nebula at center.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Penn State/DSS