Eagle Nebula (M16)
A young open cluster of stars in Serpens, embedded in an emission nebula containing the famous 'Pillars of Creation'. The cluster and some nebulosity are visible in binoculars.
Nebula and star cluster in Serpens. Magnitude 6.0.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 69° above the southern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 73° above the southern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 24 Jun, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Visible to the eye only from a dark site, as a misty patch; lost in city skies.
- 10x50 binoculars: A misty patch around its stars.
- A small telescope (80 to 100 mm): The cluster is easy; the nebula needs a dark sky and a UHC or OIII filter.
- A camera: Spans about 40% of an APS-C frame at 1,000 mm (field 1.3° × 0.9°); needs a tracking mount. An H-alpha-sensitive (modified) camera brings out its red glow.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 35′, 1.1 Moons across (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 6.0. Fainter than Georgetown's faintest stars (4.3) but brighter than Lethem's (6.0).
- Distance: 7,000 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 7,000 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Emission Nebula with Open Cluster
- Distance
- Approx. 7,000 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 70x55 Lightyears
- Ionized Hydrogen (HII): Surrounding gas cloud
- Pillars of Creation: Dense dust and gas columns, sites of star birth
- NGC 6611 Open Cluster: Young, hot stars illuminating and eroding the pillars
More deep-sky objects: M25 (Open Cluster IC 4725) · Globular Cluster M22 · Wild Duck Cluster (M11) · Butterfly Cluster (M6) · Ptolemy Cluster (M7) · M55 (Globular Cluster)