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Astronomy Picture of the Day 6-11-02
NASA ^
| 6-11-02
| Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell
Posted on 06/11/2002 4:56:36 AM PDT by petuniasevan
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2002 June 11

Inside the Eagle Nebula
Credit & Copyright: T. A. Rector & B. A. Wolpa, NOAO, AURA, NSF
Explanation: From afar, the whole thing looks like an Eagle. A closer look of the Eagle Nebula, however, shows the bright region is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop appears where a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. In this cavity tall pillars and round globules of dark dust and cold molecular gas remain where stars are still forming. Already visible are several young bright blue stars whose light and winds are burning away and pushing back the remaining filaments and walls of gas and dust. The Eagle emission nebula, tagged M16, lies about 6500 light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible with binoculars toward the constellation of Serpens. The above picture combines three specific emitted colors and was taken with the 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA.
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; dust; eagle; emission; gas; globules; image; m16; nebula; photography; pillars; space; star; stars
A stellar nursery...
Get on the APOD PING list!
To: petuniasevan
Oh, crud. Didn't fix the open cluster link (oops).
Here it is corrected: Open Clusters.
To: MozartLover; Joan912; NovemberCharlie; snowfox; Dawgsquat; viligantcitizen; theDentist; grlfrnd...
APOD PING!
To: ~Eagle Nebula~
Your namesake! ;-D
Comment #5 Removed by Moderator
To: petuniasevan
Behold!
6
posted on
06/11/2002 6:14:22 AM PDT
by
aomagrat
To: petuniasevan
You do these posts daily? It's great! Sign me up on your ping list okay?
7
posted on
06/11/2002 6:38:15 AM PDT
by
Boxsford
To: petuniasevan
THANK YOU! I am sending a hug your way!! You make my day, anyway, by pinging me to these beautiful spots.....however, today ....this is fanstatic! THANK YOU!!
To: petuniasevan
Wow! Again. How many ways are there to say "Wow"?
To: petuniasevan
Holy catfish is that awesome!
10
posted on
06/11/2002 11:47:06 AM PDT
by
Joan912
To: Vets_Husband_and_Wife
PING.....check it, friends! No....I am not that gorgeous in person, only in the sky!! ROFL
To: petuniasevan; ~EagleNebula~
Wow!! How beautiful!! Can you all add me to your ping list? Thanks! ;o)
To: DakotaGator
PING! Here is the one EV mentioned on the phone. Sorry it took so long to get to you! ENJOY!
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