M16 and M17 are in the same spiral arm of the Milky Way (the arm of the Sagittarius or Sagittarius-Carina) and are perhaps part of the same complex of giant clouds of interstellar matter.
M16 ແລະ M17 ນອນຢູ່ໃນແຂນກ້ຽວວຽນດຽວກັນຂອງແຂນ Milky Way (ແຂນ Sagittarius ຫຼື Sagittarius-Carina) ແລະບາງທີອາດມີສ່ວນ ຫນຶ່ງ ຂອງສະລັບສັບຊ້ອນຄ້າຍຄືກັນກັບບັນດາຟັງ interstellar.