frone t1_iu5lehs wrote on October 28, 2022 at 6:43 PM

How big is this thing in the sky to us on Earth? If I hold up a 1mm by 1mm square object at arms length, does it completely cover it?

Also, where is it in relation to stars we commonly recognize?

zeeblecroid t1_iu6zaxy wrote on October 29, 2022 at 12:55 AM

To the naked eye the Pillars - and the whole Eagle Nebula - would be invisibly small. Think less "1mm square at arm's length" and more "1mm square at the other end of the street."

meowcat93 OP t1_iu9fy6y wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:20 PM

Here’s another sense of physical scale:

https://twitter.com/willgater/status/1586023809119055875?s=20&t=czbg9sGdclDTK8gizR6E0w

PhoenixReborn t1_iu6ul2q wrote on October 29, 2022 at 12:17 AM

It's towards the center of the Eagle Nebula which is in the tail of the constellation Serpens.