Observer's Notes: The Majestic Swan is one of the most beautiful of all nebulae. It gets its name from its shape, which may be hard to see in our photograph. For a better idea of what the Swan looks like through a telescope, click here. The Swan swims among the rich Milky Way star clouds of Sagittarius. In telescopes of 4.5 inches of aperture and up, the Swan is an easy target. It's also visible in binoculars from a dark sky site.