Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Eagle Nebula from Kitt Peak

NASA ^ | April 16, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: From afar, the whole thing looks like an Eagle. A closer look at the Eagle Nebula, however, shows the bright region is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop appears where a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. In this cavity tall pillars and round globules of dark dust and cold molecular gas remain where stars are still forming. Already visible are several young bright blue stars whose light and winds are burning away and pushing back the remaining filaments and walls of gas and dust. The Eagle emission nebula, tagged M16, lies about 6500 light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible with binoculars toward the constellation of the Serpent (Serpens). This picture combines three specific emitted colors and was taken with the 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: T. A. Rector & B. A. Wolpa, NOAO, AURA ]

[SunkenCiv]

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[GeronL]

nice

I mean...

ooohhh..... aaahhh....

[rawcatslyentist]

Intergalactic Rorschach.

Zoom and pan for more fun.

[dragnet2]

I shot this from my backyard, of the same nebula, not long ago.

Look at the center of the image at the top of this thread, and then the one above.

I made this enlargement of the center of the Eagle, from the image above...They are called, "The Pillars of Creation." Those pillars are about 60 trillion miles high...

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

As the man in “Ghostbusters” might have said, “Those are some pillars”.

[Free in Texas]

Beautiful.

[CalvaryJohn]

I went on a tour there. The guy was very proud of this particular instrument. You can see a lot wit a .9 meter reflector.

[mombonn]

What a spectacular way to start the day! Thank you so much.

[TheOldLady]

I see a skull on the left, overlooking the whole thing, but I see no eagle.

Is anyone psychoanalyzing my Rorschach responses?

Please don't tell me if you are.

[blueunicorn6]

A bowl of Lucky Charms cereal.

[bigheadfred]

I see a skull on the left, overlooking the whole thing, with its reflection in the water below...

There. Fixed it.

[TheOldLady]

Thank you, fred, my dear. Ya gotta watch me every second!

[NYer]

Simply astounding! Great post!

[bigheadfred]

Ya gotta watch me every second!

With a dart gun loaded with the Thorazine.

[TheOldLady]

Precisely!

[bigheadfred]

It works out pretty well.

You go off. I shoot myself with the dart gun.

[TheOldLady]

No, no! Don't go through all that trouble. I'll shoot you.  

[bigheadfred]

[TheOldLady]

Don’t worry! I’d never hit a vital organ. Really.

A vital organ was not hit by whoever darted that pigeon.