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Eagle Nebula (M16)
emission nebula in Serpens
The Eagle Nebula is where the famous Pillars of Creation live: columns of gas and dust where new stars are forming. The pillars are small, near the nebula's center, but the whole region around them is a large cloud of glowing hydrogen with a young star cluster.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M16
- Type
- emission nebula
- Constellation
- Serpens
- Size
- 35′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 6.4
- Distance
- about 7,000 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Jun
- Typical prime months
- Apr to Sep
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- Narrowband: Ha / OIII / SII, or a dual-band / UHC filter
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How to image Eagle Nebula
- For the pillars, use 1,000 mm or more and expect to crop in. For the whole nebula, 400 to 700 mm works.
- The three narrowband colors (Ha, OIII, SII) mapped to green, blue and red give the popular Hubble-style look.
- It sits about two and a half degrees from M17, so a wide frame can hold both.
Framing: what focal length?
The focal length at which M16 spans about 60% of the long side of the sensor, leaving room around it. Treat it as a starting point; the right framing is a matter of taste.
| Sensor | Focal length |
|---|---|
| 1-inch sensor (13.2 mm) | about 780 mm |
| APS-C (23.5 mm) | about 1380 mm |
| Full frame (36 mm) | about 2120 mm |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M16 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 21° | Stays low |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 31° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 41° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 51° | Workable |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 69° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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