An amateur
astronomer has captured an eye-catching view of one of the most famed
cosmic sights: the so-called "Pillars of Creation" of the Eagle Nebula.
Astrophotgrapher Terry Hancock sent SPACE.com his new view of the iconic "Pillars of Creation"
structure, which is located in the Eagle Nebula. It is the same region
immortalized by dazzling images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Located 6,500 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Serpens, the Eagle Nebula
(Messier 16 or NGC 6611) is a stellar nursery comprising interstellar
gas and dust. Astronomers believe the aptly named columns featured in
this image may have been blasted out of existence thousands of years ago.
Astrophotgraphers, stargazers and astronomers will be able to view these celestial pillars for at least another few hundred years
because light takes roughly 6,500 years to reach Earth and telescopes
today reveal the region as it existed long ago, according to European
Space Agency officials.
Hancock
took this image in late August and early September from DownUnder
Observatory in Fremont, Michigan. He used a QHY9 monochrome CCD camera with
Astronomy Technologies Astro-Tech 12" f/8 Ritchey-Chrétien astrograph
optics in RGB and H-Alpha. The total exposure time was five hours.
SPACE
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