The Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier Object 16, M16 or NGC 6611),  one of the most famous and easily recognized space objects, is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. It is associated with a diffuse emission nebula, or H II region, of active current star formation is about 7,000 light-years distant. and the famed "Pillars of Creation" is a large region of star formation.