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M16, better known as the Eagle Nebula, is located in the
distant constellation, Serpens. The source of light for M16
is the high-energy radiation of the massive young stars being
formed in its core. By studying M16, astronomers hope to learn
more about the early years of our own Sun.
Philippe Loys de Chéseaux discovered the nebula in 1745. Charles
Messier was the first to notice that the stars in M16 appear to emit
a faint glow, providing the first clues that the nebula was a
stellar nursery.
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