The Eagle Nebula, located 7,000 light-years from Earth, has been captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in breathtaking detail. The nebula, also known as M16, surrounds an open star cluster and features a pillar of cold gas and dust stretching 9.5 light-years long. This material is essential for creating new stars.
The newly formed stars generate powerful interstellar winds and ultraviolet light, which have transformed the cloud into a billowing tendril near one end. The image highlights different wavelengths of emission, showcasing blue ionized oxygen, vibrant red hydrogen, and orange starlight piercing through darker dust.
Despite being taken 20 years ago in 2005, this newly processed image appears even more vivid than its original form. As part of the Hubble’s 35-year anniversary celebration, NASA and the European Space Agency have released reprocessed images, including this stunning capture.
Source: https://www.astronomy.com/science/a-dark-dusty-pillar-stretches-across-re-released-hubble-image