M16 (The Eagle Nebula)

Constellation: Serpens

Distance: 7000 Light Years

A dense HII region in an active phase of star formation. An open star cluster is emerging towards the top of the nebula. Ultraviolet light from these stars is exciting the surrounding emission cloud, which glows red, and is boiling away surrounding less dense gas, leaving the denser central dark area of condensation intact. These dark columns have been made famous by photographs from the Hubble Space Telsescope, and have been nicknamed "The Pillars of Creation".