M16 · Eagle Nebula

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Credit NASA, Jeff Hester, and Paul Scowen (Arizona State University) · Public domain

Chinese name	鹰状星云
Type	Emission nebula
Constellation	Ser
RA	18h19m
Dec	−14°
Apparent magnitude	6ᵐ
Hemisphere	Both hemispheres
Best season	Summer
Difficulty	Easy
Focal length	中长焦 800–1200mm

About

The Eagle Nebula lies about 5,700 light-years away in Serpens (an older estimate of 7,000 ly was revised down with Gaia data) and is world-famous for Hubble's 1995 「Pillars of Creation.」 These towering columns of gas and dust, several light-years tall, are active stellar nurseries whose tips hold collapsing evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs). The nebula spans roughly 70 by 55 light-years, ionized into a glowing red by the hot young stars of cluster NGC 6611; the nebulosity itself is catalogued as IC 4703. The cluster is visible in small telescopes, while long-focus narrowband imaging recovers the iconic pillars. It is among the most scientifically meaningful and rewarding targets in the summer Milky Way.