M16 – The Eagle Nebula by Saad Abbasi

This time, Saad Abbasi takes us to the Eagle’s Nest. M16 or the Eagle Nebula is a star formation region in the Constellation Serpens (The Serpent).

The Eagle Nebula by Saad Abbasi

 View the full resolution version here

Its a rather long exposure of 2 hours and 10 minutes shot from the middle of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. The specialty of this image is that its shot in Hydrogen Alpha wavelength of light.

The Eagle Nebula was discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745. Its name is because of its shape that resembles to an Eagle. It is 7000 Light years away from the earth.

Star Birth Clouds in the Eagle Nebula

Hubble Space Telescope took the following image of the Eagle Nebula which is one of the most famous Astro Photos in the world and shows active creation of stars.

Pillars of Creation by Hubble Space Telescope

Map of Constellation Serpens and Location of M16

An activity for you readers. Try to locate the Pillars of Creation in the photograph by Saad.

An advice for Amjad: Under extremely dark and clear skies, Eagle Nebula is a good target for binoculars.

Wish you clear and dark skies.

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