The Eagle Nebula, Messier 16. Every detail in this image is amazing. The blue-white stars of the central cluster are very massive and are expending their nuclear fuel reserves at a profligate rate. They burn brightly now, and are destined to die as supernovae in only a few million years. The delicate spires of gas and dust, nurseries to yet unborn stars, are being sculpted by the radiation and stellar winds of the cluster stars. In fact, there is suspicion among some astronomers that the spires might have been destroyed altogether since the light collected in this image left the nebula 7,000 years ago. If so, they are victims of the supernova explosion of one of the stars to which they gave birth.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 05:45:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015