Capture the cosmos > Stellar evolution > Dig deeper (cont'd) > Fast Facts: Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula

Fast Facts:
Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula
Name(s) Eagle Nebula, M16, NGC 6611, IC 4703
Description Emission nebula with an open star cluster
Age The star cluster associated with the nebula is about 5.5 million years old.
Location Found in the constellation Serpens
Distance
from Earth
6,500 light-years
Size The pillar is about 9.5 light-years (or about 57 trillion miles) high.

[Top] A pillar of gas and dust, flecked with stars, stretches trillions of miles into space.

[Bottom] Wide view of the Eagle Nebula showing (A) the 1995 image location and (B) the 2005 image location

Capture the cosmos > Stellar evolution > Dig deeper (cont'd) > Fast Facts: Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula