Eagle Nebula
M16, the Eagle Nebula is one of the most iconic deep space images. Home to the famous Pillars of Creation, M16 showcases how incredible narrowband images look!
Story
Messier 16, also known as the Eagle Nebula, is one of my favorite deep space targets. Not only is it a stellar nursery, birthing new stars, but it also contains the iconic “Pillars of Creation,” which NASA imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Pillars of Creation are in the center of the image, and are the clouds of gas that jut into the central blue region. It’s these pillars that ignited the public’s interest in deep space photography. This photograph is my homage to that time. I vividly remember the release of this image. The release sparked my joy and wonder at our night sky.
Eagle Nebula is imaged in narrowband, which means that we’re focusing only on three very narrow bands of light. Specifically, we’re imagining in hydrogen alpha, oxygen and sulphur bands, then assigning those to colors green, blue, and red, respectively. This creates the rich, deep colors we see here, and are scientifically accurate as well.
Finally, the next time you gaze at the night sky, perhaps you’ll see a shooting star, or maybe M16.
See Also
- NGC 6188 NGC 6188—the Dragons of Ara—is a stunning emission nebula in the southern sky.
- Carina Nebula The Carina Nebula, a mere 7,500 light years away from Earth, is a stellar nursery. Located in the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way, it produces new stars and displays a brilliance all its own.
- M31 Andromeda The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way. This deep space photograph gives us a glimpse into it, and lets us wonder who might be looking at us.
- Cygnus Wall Cygnus Wall gives us a detailed, close up view, of NGC 7000--the North American Nebula. Deep space has never looked so amazing!
Additional information
| Finish | Matted Photograph, Finished Aluminum |
|---|---|
| Size | 12×12, 20×20, 8×8 |