Messier 18 or M18, also designated NGC 6613 and sometimes known as the Black Swan Cluster, is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764 and included in his list of comet-like objects. From the perspective of Earth, M18 is situated between the Omega Nebula (M17) and the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24).
Open cluster Messier 18 in Sagittarius
M18 photo from the 2MASS project
Star cluster Messier 18 (upper left) and its surroundings, taken by the OmegaCAM
Small Sagittarius Star Cloud
The Small Sagittarius Star Cloud is a star cloud in the constellation of Sagittarius approximately 600 light years wide, which was catalogued by Charles Messier in 1764. It should not be confused with the nearby Large Sagittarius Star Cloud which lies about 10° to the south.
Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (Messier 24) with NGC 6603 towards upper left