Messier 16 (M16) – The Eagle Nebula Wide Field
September 1, 2023
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Located 6,500 to 7,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation, Messier 16 (M16), the Eagle Nebula, spans 70 by 50 light years and is home to the famous Pillars of Creation. M16 encompasses two catalogued objects: the open star cluster NGC 6611 and the emission nebula IC 4703.
The dark regions in the nebula, particularly in the Pillars, house continued star formation. Many of the stars formed there are large and very hot. These stars are responsible for ionizing the gases in the nebula, which makes it more visible and varied in color.
Another name people sometimes use for M16 is the Star Queen Nebula. That name comes from American astronomer Robert Burnham, Jr. He thought the central pillars looked like the silhouette of a Star Queen. I don’t know what that guy was on, but I want some of it.
Telescope
Takahashi TOA130
Finding Chart
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Image Capture
Location:
Deep Sky West
Camera:
Total integration: 12h 14m
Integration per filter:
- R: 26m (26 × 60")
- G: 24m (24 × 60")
- B: 21m (21 × 60")
- Hα: 4h (80 × 180")
- S2: 3h 39m (73 × 180")
- O3: 3h 24m (68 × 180")
Coordinates: 18h 18m 48s · -13° 59′ 36″
Moravian C5a-100M
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