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Explanation: The dust sculptures of the Eagle Nebula are evaporating. As powerful starlight whittles away these cool cosmic mountains, the statuesque pillars that remain might be imagined as mythical beasts. Pictured above is one of several striking dust pillars of the Eagle Nebula that might be described as a gigantic alien fairy. This fairy, however, is ten light years tall and spews radiation much hotter than common fire. The greater Eagle Nebula, M16, is actually a giant evaporating shell of gas and dust inside of which is a growing cavity filled with a spectacular stellar nursery currently forming an open cluster of stars. The above image in scientifically re-assigned colors was released in 2005 as part of the fifteenth anniversary celebration of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: M 16 - Eagle Nebula - dust
Publications with words: M 16 - Eagle Nebula - dust
See also:
- APOD: 2024 October 22 Á M16: Pillars of Star Creation
- APOD: 2024 September 29 Á Seven Dusty Sisters
- The Dark Seahorse of Cepheus
- NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula
- APOD: 2024 January 29 Á The Pleiades: Seven Dusty Sisters
- APOD: 2023 July 25 Á The Eagle Nebula with Xray Hot Stars
- APOD: 2023 May 15 Á M16: Eagle Nebula Deep Field