Messier 16 associated
with 'the Eagle Nebula'
Open Cluster M16 (NGC 6611), type 'e', in Serpens
Object type: open cluster
Visual Brightness:~ 6.4
Constellation: Serpens
Date: 2007-06-20
Location: Postalm/ Austria (1300m)
Telescope: TMB 80/480
(3.1" Apo f=480mm)
Camera: Starlight XPress SXV-H9
Image type: Ha
Binning: 1x1
Exposure time: Ha
8x15' = 2h
Cluster M16 (NGC 6611) discovered by
Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745-6.
Nebula IC 4703 discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.
Lying some 7,000 light years distant in the constellation Serpens, close to the borders to Scutum and Sagittarius, and in the next inner spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy from us (the Sagittarius or Sagittarius-Carina Arm) a great cloud of interstellar gas and dust has entered a vivid process of star formation. Open star cluster M16 has formed from this great gaseous and dusty cloud, the diffuse Eagle Nebula IC 4703, which is now caused to shine by emission light, excited by the high-energy radiation of its massive hot, young stars. It is actually still in the process of forming new stars, this formation taking place near the dark "elephant trunks" which are well visible in our photograph, as well as in AAT pictures and other images of M16.