M16, also known as the Eagle Nebula, is located approximately 5,700 light-years from Earth^[5] in the constellation Serpens the snake^[1].  It is an especially interesting astronomical object that has been the subject of much research conducted using both ground based and space based observatories.

Many massive stars condensed out of the great cloud of gas and dust that composed the original nebula^[1].  These massive stars now radiate huge amounts of ultraviolet light.  This radiation excites the surrounding gas which then radiates visible light of a wavelength specific to the chemical elements comprising the nebula.  The radiation pressure and stellar winds from these stars "blew away" much of the nebula's gas creating a huge central cavity in which the stars now shine.

The "fingers" of gas in the middle of the image are much like the formations we see in the deserts of the southwest United States.  It is believed that very dense pockets of dust and gas located at the tips of the columns act as "capstones" protecting the gas below them from the radiation and stellar winds of the massive stars visible above and to the right of the pillars.  These "fingers/pillars" are home to many observed protostars and are known as the Pillars of Creation.

Located to the northeast of the Pillars of Creation is a giant spire (column) of gas and dust that extends approximately 9.5 light-years in length^[2]. This spectacular feature is known as The Fairy of the Eagle.

In 2007 Observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope^[3] indicate a massive star exploded approximately 8,000 to 9,000 years ago.  The shock wave from this supernova is thought to have destroyed the magnificent pillars in the Eagle.  The light from the supernova would have reached the Earth between 1,000 and 2,000 years ago; however, the slower moving shock wave would take a few thousand years to propagate through the nebula and its effects would not be visible on Earth for approximately 1,000 years from now^[3].

More recent studies, utilizing modernized cameras and filters, refute the earlier Spitzer conclusions^[4].  These recent observations indicate there was no earlier pillar destroying supernova^[4].  The iconic Pillars of Creation won't be around forever; however they should likely last for several thousands of years^[4].

The image above is known as a mapped, or false, color image and was acquired using three narrowband filters (SII,Ha,OIII) and three wideband (R,G,B) filters.  SII was mapped to the red channel, Ha was mapped to the green channel, and OIII was mapped to the blue channel.  The stars were overlaid with data obtained from an RGB-filtered image.  The image is oriented with north up and east to the left.