Inside the Eagle Nebula
Explanation:
From afar, the whole thing looks like an
Eagle.
A closer look at the
Eagle Nebula, however, shows the
bright region is actually a window into the
center of a larger dark shell of
dust.
Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop
appears where a whole
open cluster
of stars is being formed.
In this cavity
tall pillars and
round globules of dark dust and cold
molecular gas
remain where stars are still forming.
Already visible are several young
bright blue stars
whose light and winds are burning away and pushing back the
remaining filaments
and walls of gas and dust.
The Eagle emission nebula, tagged M16, lies about 6500
light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible with
binoculars toward the
constellation of
Serpens.
The
above picture combines three specific emitted colors
and was taken with the
0.9-meter telescope on
Kitt Peak,
Arizona,
USA.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
