Star Formation: The Eagle Nebula

Star Formation: The Eagle Nebula

Stars form from the remains of previous generations of stars.

Stars are formed as part of an amazing recycling process, in which gravity shapes new stars from the gas and dust expelled by old stars. Once formed, massive young stars regulate the formation of lower-mass stars with their powerful winds, blowing gas and dust out of some areas while compressing it in others. As stars form, they are hidden inside their “parent” cocoons of dust that visible light cannot penetrate, but they emit infrared light that passes through the dust clouds and can be detected by infrared telescopes.

The Eagle Nebula offers views of a stellar nursery in multiple wavelengths, allowing us to see both the dense cocoons of dust and the stars forming within. The nebula is home to three thick columns of dust and gas where stars are forming, known as the Pillars of Creation. Even at 5 light-years tall, the pillars have been eroded by stellar winds and are nearing the end of their star production phase. Most of the nebula’s hot young stars surround them, bathing them in glowing radiation that continues to chip away at their shape.

Quick Facts: The Eagle Nebula

Also known as: M16 (Messier 16)
Type of object: Star-forming nebula
Distance from Earth: 6,500 light-years
Size: About 5 light-years tall
Location in the sky: Serpens Cauda Constellation
Location in the universe: Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy
Did you know: We are seeing the Eagle Nebula as it was 6500 years ago—the time it has taken for its light to reach us. The shape of the pillars has likely changed, but that light has not yet reached us.