 Messier Object 16, the Eagle Nebula: this eerie, dark structure is a column of cool molecular hydrogen gas and dust that is an incubator for new stars. The stars are embedded inside finger-like protrusions clearly seen extending from the top of the column. Each "fingertip" is somewhat larger than our own solar system. The Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier Object 16, M16 or NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the Serpens Cauda constellation. It is associated with a diffuse emission nebula, or H II region, which is catalogued as IC 4703. This region of current star formation is about 7,000 light years distant, at right ascension 18.3 h
and declination -5°. See the Serpens article to locate M16 on a star map.
Eagle_nebula_pillars.jpg
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