M16：老鹰星云的内部
M16: Inside the Eagle Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Nicolas Paladini
Explanation: From afar, the whole thing looks like an Eagle. A closer look at the Eagle Nebula, however, shows the bright region is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop appears where a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. In this cavity tall pillars and round globules of dark dust and cold molecular gas remain where stars are still forming. Already visible are several young bright blue stars whose light and winds are burning away and pushing back the remaining filaments and walls of gas and dust. The Eagle emission nebula, tagged M16, lies about 6500 light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible with binoculars toward the constellation of the Serpent (Serpens). This picture involved over 12 hours of imaging and combines three specific emitted colors emitted by sulfur (colored as red), hydrogen (yellow), and oxygen (blue).
Gallery: Notable images of the recent Total Solar Eclipse submitted to APOD
Tomorrow’s picture: a spot of darkness
M16：老鹰星云的内部
影像提供与版权: Nicolas Paladini
说明: 从远处望过去，它形似一只老鹰。然而，仔细检视老鹰星云，就会发现其中的亮区，其实是可以望进较大黝黑尘埃壳中心的窗口。透过这个窗口，可见到一座明亮的恒星工厂，正在该处制作整个疏散星团。在这个空穴恒星仍在形成之处，散布着许多由黝黑尘埃和冷分子气体所构成的长长云柱和浑圆云球。此外，数颗已露出的年轻蓝色亮星，正以星光和恒星风，把剩下的云气丝和气体及尘埃壁烧去及后推。离我们约有6,500光年远，大小约20光年，编录号为M16、用双筒望远镜即可见的老鹰发射星云，位在北天的巨蛇 座方向。这张总曝光时间超过12小时的影像，结合了硫（以红色标示）、氢（黄）及氧（蓝）在3个特定波长的辐射。
图库：提交给APOD的近期全日食的著名图像
明日的图片: a spot of darkness space
