| "The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 82) |
Astrophotography by Jason Jennings |
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| Nebulae :: M16 | |
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| Resolutions Available: 600x800 : 1200x1600 : 1800x2400 | |
| Object | M16 - Star Queen Nebula |
| Comment |
Discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46, The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC6611, and also known as the Star Queen Nebula and The Spire) is a young open cluster of stars surrounded by natal clouds of dust and glowing gas in the constellation Serpens Cauda (the tail of the snake). Both the "Eagle" and the "Star Queen" refer to visual impressions of the dark silhouette near the center of the nebula, an area made famous as the "Pillars of Creation" photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. The nebula contains several active star-forming gas and dust regions, including the Pillars of Creation. This region is approximately 7,000 light-years distant. Image is a [HA+L][HA+R]GB composite with an OIII overlay clipping mask. |
| Optics | Modified ASA N16 Astrograph F/3.5 (1420mm FL) |
| Camera | Apogee Aspen CG16070 - 1x1 bin (image scale: 1.07 arcsec/pix) |
| Mount | Software Bisque Paramount ME |
| Exposure | Total exposure time: 14.5 hours |
| Date | September 2015 |