Pillars of Creation
These columns that resemble stalagmites protruding from the floor of a cavern columns are in fact cool interstellar hydrogen gas and dust that act as incubators for new stars. Inside them and on their surface astronomers have found knots or globules of denser gas. These are called EGGs (acronym for "Evaporating Gaseous Globules"). Inside at least some of the EGGs stars being formed.
Undersea coral? Enchanted castles? Space serpents? These eerie, dark pillar-like structures are actually columns of cool interstellar hydrogen gas and dust that are also incubators for new stars. The pillars protrude from the interior wall of a dark molecular cloud like stalagmites from the floor of a cavern.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9544a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 2 November 1995, 06:00 |
| Size: | 1518 x 1497 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Eagle Nebula, Messier 16 |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation • Nebulae Images/Videos |
| Distance: | 7000 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical Oiii |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical H-alpha |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Optical Sii |
Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
