NASA / ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a new image of the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16) as part of its 35th anniversary celebrations. The picture shows a huge pillar of cold gas and dust, stretching 9.5 light-years tall, sitting 7,000 light-years away from us in the Serpens constellation.
Unlike the well-known “Pillars of Creation,” this is one striking structure in the nebula, carved out by stellar winds and radiation from a nearby group of young, giant stars. The image, made with advanced processing techniques, pops with bright colors: blue for oxygen, red for sulfur, and green for nitrogen and hydrogen. It’s a small but majestic part of the Eagle Nebula, which spans 55–70 light-years and is known for active star formation. This new view builds on Hubble’s iconic 1995 and 2014 images of the region, offering sharper details thanks to the Wide Field Camera 3.
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By the way, did you know the Eagle Nebula has tiny, finger-shaped bits called Evaporating Gaseous Globules (EGGs)? Yup, these thick clumps of gas hold up against the strong energy from nearby stars, and some are like cozy nests where new stars are born. The nebula’s both a star-making place and a recycling hub. The strong radiation and winds from its huge stars compress the nearby gas, creating new stars while scattering older bits away.
