M16 — Eagle Nebula
Emission Nebula in Serpens
About
The Eagle Nebula, an emission nebula around the young cluster NGC 6611 in Serpens, about 5,700 light-years away. The cluster is 1 to 2 million years old, and the dark Pillars of Creation lie within the gas.
Imaging tips
- At 270–450 mm on APS-C (410–690 mm on full frame) the nebula fits a 150′ frame; for the Pillars alone you need a much longer focal length.
- Faint at 24.8 mag/arcsec², so narrowband helps: one 11-inch SCT image gathered 560 minutes of Hα, 200 of OIII and 144 of luminance.
- A 2007 image used 6 nm SII, OIII and Hα, 10–20 minutes each, on a 12-inch scope, the same filters Hubble used for the Pillars.
- Long exposures bloated stars over the Pillars; that imager masked stars in processing to keep the structure visible.
- Best in June and July; it peaks near 26° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 90′ × 90′
- Magnitude
- 6.4
- Coordinates
- RA 18h 18.8m, Dec −13° 47′
- Framing, APS-C
- 270–450 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 410–690 mm
- Best months
- Jun, Jul
- Peak altitude
- 26° from 50°N, 41° from 35°N