                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2026 May 31
      A starfield surrounds three large brown pillars of dark dust. The
      pillars are shown vertically. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                Eagle Nebula Pillars in Infrared from Hubble
    Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Processing: Luis Romero Ventura

   Explanation: Newborn stars are forming in the Eagle Nebula. They are
   gravitationally contracting in pillars of dense gas and dust. The
   intense radiation of these newly-formed bright stars is causing
   surrounding material to boil away. This image, taken with the Hubble
   Space Telescope in near infrared light, allows the viewer to see
   through much of the thick dust that makes the pillars opaque in visible
   light. The giant structures are light years in length and dubbed
   informally the Pillars of Creation. Associated with the open star
   cluster M16, the Eagle Nebula lies about 6,500 light years away. The
   Eagle Nebula is a satisfying target for small telescopes in a
   nebula-rich part of the sky toward the split constellation Serpens
   Cauda (the tail of the snake).

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

