(astronomy) A large emission nebula in the constellation Serpens, about 2500 parsecs away.
Eagle Nebula
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(′ē·gəl ′neb·yə·lə)
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This article is about the nebula in Serpens. For an object in the constellation of Canis Major, the Seagull Nebula also called Eagle nebula, see IC 2177. For the famous astrophotograph, see Pillars of Creation.
| Eagle Nebula | |
|---|---|
 A view of the "Spire" within M16, the Eagle Nebula. Courtesy of NASA/ESA |
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| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Type | Emission |
| Right ascension | 18h 18m 48s[1] |
| Declination | -13° 49′[1] |
| Distance | 7,000 ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +6.0[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 7.0arcmins |
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 70×55 ly (cluster 15 ly) |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | -8.21 |
| Notable features | 5.5 million years old |
| Other designations | Messier 16, NGC 6611,[1], Sharpless 49, RCW 165, Gum 83 |
| See also: Diffuse nebula, Lists of nebulae | |
The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. Its name derives from its shape which is resemblant of an eagle. It is the subject of a famous photograph by the Hubble Space Telescope, which shows pillars of star-forming gas and dust within the nebula.
Contents |
Characteristics
The Eagle Nebula is part of a diffuse emission nebula, or H II region, which is catalogued as IC 4703. This region of active current star formation is about 6,500 light-years distant. The tower of gas that can be seen coming off the nebula is approximately 57 trillion miles (97 trillion km) high.
The brightest star in the nebula has an apparent magnitude of +8.24, easily visible with good binoculars.
'Pillars of Creation' region
Images made in 1995 by Jeff Hester and Paul Scowen using the Hubble Space Telescope greatly improved scientific understanding of processes inside the nebula. One of these, a famous photograph known as the "Pillars of Creation", depicts a large region of star formation. Its small dark areas are believed to be protostars. The pillar structure of the region resembles that of a much larger star formation region, imaged with the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2005, in Cassiopeia, which is designated W5 and has been dubbed the "Mountains of Creation".[2]
Combinations of X-ray images from the Chandra observatory with Hubble's "Pillars" image have shown that X-ray sources (from young stars) do not coincide with the pillars, but instead randomly dot the area.[1] This suggests that star formation may have peaked approximately one million years ago in the Eagle Nebula and any protostars in the pillar's EGGs are not yet hot enough to emit X-rays.[citation needed]
In early 2007, scientists using the Spitzer discovered evidence that potentially indicates the Pillars were destroyed by a nearby supernova explosion about 6,000 years ago, but the light showing the new shape of the nebula will not reach Earth for another millennium.[3]
In fiction
 An infrared view of the pillars reveals different structures. Credits: ESO |
 Three-colour composite mosaic image of the Eagle Nebula. Credits: ESO |
 Head of Column in the Eagle Nebula. Credits: ESO |
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eagle Nebula |
- Seds.org, SEDS Messier page on M16
- Spacetelescope.org, Hubble telescope images on M16
- Darkatmospheres.com, Eagle Nebula M16 (wide
- The Eagle Nebula on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
- NASA.gov, APOD February 8, 2009 picture Eagle Nebula
References
- ^ a b c d "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6611. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
- ^ Spitzer Captures Cosmic "Mountains Of Creation"
- ^ Famous Space Pillars Feel the Heat of Star's Explosion - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Coordinates: 
18h 18m 48s, −13° 49′ 00″
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 | Pillars of Creation |
| IC 4703 |
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Mentioned in
- Pillars of Creation
- IC 4703
- stellar evolution (in astronomy)
- Year 1995 (in Science & Technology)
