This newly reprocessed image released on April 18, 2025, provides a new view of an enormous, 9.5-light-year-tall pillar of cold gas and dust. Despite its size, it’s just one small piece of the greater Eagle Nebula, also called Messier 16.
The Eagle Nebula is one of many nebulae in the Milky Way that are known for their sculpted, dusty clouds. Nebulae take on these fantastic shapes when exposed to powerful radiation and winds from infant stars. Regions with denser gas are more able to withstand the onslaught of radiation and stellar winds from young stars, and these dense areas remain as dusty sculptures like the starry pillar shown here.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, K. Noll
这张于2025年4月18日发布的重新处理图像展现了一个巨大的冷气体和尘埃柱的新视角。尽管它高达9.5光年,但这只是更庞大的鹰状星云(又称梅西耶16)中的一小部分。
鹰状星云是银河系中众多以雕刻状尘埃云而闻名的星云之一。星云在受到新生恒星发出的强烈辐射和恒星风的影响时,会呈现出这些奇特的形状。气体更为密集的区域能更好地抵御来自年轻恒星的辐射和恒星风,这些区域最终保留下来,形成如图中星柱一般的尘埃雕塑。
图片来源: ESA/Hubble & NASA, K. Noll