M 16 / Eagle Nebula

The Eagle Nebula (also known as M 16 or NGC 6611) is a large H II region in the constellation Serpent's Tail. It consists of a young open cluster of stars associated with an emission nebula composed of ionized hydrogen, cataloged as IC 4703.

Its distance has always been relatively uncertain, but we tend to accept a value of about 7000 light years from Earth, thus placing it in the middle zone of the Sagittarius Arm; It contains some well-known formations, such as the Pillars of Creation, the long columns of dark gas originating from the action of the stellar wind of the components of the central cluster and which are also responsible for the proper name of the nebula itself, due to their shape. In them there are some young stellar objects, which testify that the processes of star formation are still in progress, although it is not clear whether these are favored or opposed by the action of the stellar wind of nearby stars, nor is it clear if the wind actually influences these phenomena in any way. The cluster is composed of a large number of very hot and bright blue supergiants; their typical age is just 2-3 million years, i.e. less than a thousandth of the age of our Sun; The brightest star in the cluster is magnitude 8.24, which is clearly visible even with binoculars.

The nebula has been known since the eighteenth century and is one of the best-known objects in the Messier Catalogue; It is easily revealed in photographs and is therefore a good subject for amateur astrophotography enthusiasts