The Eagle Nebula
Home of the Pillars of Creation
Click on the above thumbnails to view cropped regions of interest,
and a monochrome version in hydrogen alpha light
Description
The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, is an emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation of Serpens. This object is well known due to the iconic "Pillars of Creation", which are pillars of interstellar gas at its core that are undergoing active star formation. Evidence from infrared observations on this region suggest that the pillars have been destroyed by a supernova explosion about 8,000 years ago. However, the shockwave of the explosion would take several thousand years to propagate through the nebula, and given that the Eagle Nebula lies some 7,000 light years away, we will not observe the destruction of the pillars until another millennium or so.
Imaging Details
Location: Mersing, Malaysia
Date: 7 Aug 2016.
Acquisition Information:
Telescope: FSQ85ED at f/5.3
Camera: SBIG ST8300M, Baader LRGB filters
Mount: Losmandy G11/G2
Integration: 150 minutes HaRGB
Image reduction, integration and processing with Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight.