M16 (NGC 6611, the Eagle Nebula)
Constellation: Ser
Object Type: Open Cluster
RA: 18h 18m 48s
Dec: -13° 47' 49"
Magnitude: 6.0
Recommended minimum aperture: 50mm
Charts for 100mm Binocular (2.5° aperture circle). Click on a chart to print it.
Location:
Put γ Sct at the S of the field of view and pan 4° to the W. The M16 cluster should be visible near the centre of the field.
What You Should See:
This is the object that became well known through the Hubble Space Telescope’s "Pillars of Creation" image but, unless your skies are very good, you will probably only be able to see the cluster without a UHC filter, which will bring the nebulosity into prominence. You should then be able to identify shape of the wings and tail from which this object gets its common name.
