Path to the Pillars

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Created this to show where the Eagle lives in the sky. The pillars are just recognisable in this HaRGB composite taken with a 200mm lens and 1600MM cool camera.

The image on the left was taken in 2020 when Jupiter and Saturn were close together. It's a three-pane stitch from horizon to zenith, and not a million miles away from what can be seen with the naked eye. (I might have at making a close to naked eye version by reducing the number of visible stars, and reducing the contrast and blurring out the Milky Way.)

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Completed this project using the data kindly provided by the Ikarus Observatory.

It's interesting to compare the morphology of M16 and M17. In both cases the expansion of the nebulae by stellar winds is restricted by concentrations of gas and dust in some directions. Objects such as the Rosette and IC1396 are much more spherical, classic Strömgren spheres, possibly because they are more evolved objects?

Edited October 19, 2022 by Knight of Clear Skies