M16, The Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula is mainly an emission nebula which is made up of glowing hydrogen gas. The
hydrogen gas in the nebula has absorbed radiation from nearby stars and then it re-emits this
energy at a wavelength of light that we perceive as red. It is about 6500 light years from Earth.
The nebula is most famous for its “pillars” of gas and dust which were the subject of Hubble Space
Telescope image published in 1995 (see below). These structures are thought to be “stellar
nurseries” where stars are forming. The cluster of stars seen near the center of the nebula is one of
the products of this process. The main “pillar” is thought to be about 57 trillion miles long.
You can see a wide field image of the area of the Milky Way containing M16 here.
hydrogen gas in the nebula has absorbed radiation from nearby stars and then it re-emits this
energy at a wavelength of light that we perceive as red. It is about 6500 light years from Earth.
The nebula is most famous for its “pillars” of gas and dust which were the subject of Hubble Space
Telescope image published in 1995 (see below). These structures are thought to be “stellar
nurseries” where stars are forming. The cluster of stars seen near the center of the nebula is one of
the products of this process. The main “pillar” is thought to be about 57 trillion miles long.
You can see a wide field image of the area of the Milky Way containing M16 here.
| Eagle Nebula from 10 x 4 minute exposures, modified Canon XSi, ISO 1600. Takahashi 106ED f/5 telescope. Click on the image for full size. |
| One of the "pillar" areas of the Eagle Nebula. The upper left area was the subject of the now famous Hubble image. |
| Hubble image of "pillars of creation." htt://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/ releases/1995/44 |
