Tour of Eagle Nebula

This video gives a tour of different images that have been taken of the Eagle Nebula’s Pillars of Creation.

It begins by zooming out from a three-colour composite mosaic image of the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16), based on images obtained with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope. Faded over this is a view of the Pillars of Creation in infrared taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.

Next the video shows three Hubble images of, in order of appearance, a stellar spire in the nebula, an open star cluster known as NGC 6611, and a collection of very bright young stars in the northwestern part of the region.

Just before the last of these images fades in a new Hubble image of the pillars, taken in infrared, comes into view in the very centre, followed by its new companion image taken in visible light.