So, here is my capture of Messier 16 – aka the Eagle Nebula. This is in the SE sky near the constellation Sagittarius in the constellation Serpens. It is about 7000 lights years from earth, and is estimated to be over 5.5 million years old. The name Eagle comes from the nebula’s shape, which is said to resemble an eagle with outstretched wings (adult beverages involved…). This is home for star creation in the famous Pillars of Creation in the central part of the nebula (if you zoom in you can see 3 pillars in the center on an angle of about a 45 degrees to the right. The largest one is 4 light years high… This was captured over 2 nights with about 4 hours’ worth of 2 minute exposures. If you are interested in the pillars of creation, check out this NASA link.