SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Sean Liang
Location of Photo:
Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile (Remote Astronomy)
Date/Time of photo:
Mar 2022
Equipment:
PlaneWave Instruments CDK 20"; ML16200
Description:
The Eagle Nebula is a stellar nursery, a crucible where the primordial ingredients of the universe – interstellar dust and gas – congregate and collapse under gravity's tug to give birth to stars. These newborn stars, energetic and radiant, emerge from their birthplace, shedding light into the cosmic abyss. The nebula's centre is something both stark and beautiful, pillars of dust and gas illuminated by newborn stars in the shape of an Eagle's claw. We call these monoliths the 'Pillars of Creation.' These titanic structures, light-years in length, are factories of creation, the same processes that gave rise to our own star, our own planet, and ultimately, us. This process has been unfolding for billions of years, long before humans trod the Earth, and will continue long after we're gone. In this, the Eagle Nebula reminds us of our ultimate origin and deep connection with the cosmos.
