The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. Its name derives from its shape that is thought to resemble an eagle. It is the subject of the famous "Pillars of Creation" photograph by the Hubble Space Telescope that shows pillars of star-forming gas and dust within the nebula.
Read more about Eagle Nebula: Characteristics, 'Pillars of Creation' Region, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the word eagle:
“As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him...”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 32:11,12.