M16: Pillars of Creation
Credit & Copyright: J. Hester, P. Scowen
(ASU),
HST,
NASA
Explanation:
It has become one of the most famous images of modern times.
This image, taken with the
Hubble Space Telescope
in 1995, shows
evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs)
emerging from pillars of molecular
hydrogen gas and
dust.
The
giant pillars are
light years in length
and are so dense that interior gas
contracts gravitationally to form stars.
At each
pillars' end,
the intense radiation of bright young stars
causes low density material to boil away, leaving
stellar nurseries of dense
EGGs exposed.
The
Eagle Nebula, associated with the
open star cluster
M16, lies about 7000
light years away.
The pillars of creation were
imaged recently by the orbiting
Chandra X-ray Observatory,
and it was found that most EGGS are not strong emitters of
X-rays.
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.
