M16 Eagle Nebula

DETAILS: Imaged with LX200 10" f6.3 FR CFW-8, ST-10XME, and guided by the AO-7. Aligned and color combined in MaxIm DL.

COMMENTARY: M16, the Eagle Nebula (also known as the Star Queen Nebula) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Serpens (Cauda), at an approximate distance of 9,000 light-years. The dark dust and gas clouds in the center hide the birth of many of the new stars generated by the nebulous gases and cosmic dusts of this beautiful complex. The center pillar of blackness is over 20 trillion miles long, and is being slowly eroded away by the extreme ultraviolet radiation of the nearby stars. Recent Hubble images provide a close-up and spectacular views of this star-forming region.