The Eagle Nebula, catalogued as M 16 is an emission nebula in the constellation of Serpens and inside it, in addition to the star cluster NGC 6611, there is also one of the most famous astronomical images: the Pillars of Creation.

These are dense columns of gas and dust several light years long, illuminated by recently formed stars, and inside them new stars are forming, hence the name that was assigned to these structures made famous by the images of the Hubble Space Telescope.

M 16

the Pillars of Creation

Credit: ESA/Hubble

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