Three-colour composite mosaic image of the Eagle Nebula. Image source: (1)
The Eagle's emission nebula, identified as Messier 16, is about 6,500 light-years away, covering about 20 light years and can be observed with binoculars in the constellation of the Serpent.
The Eagle Nebula contains a hot young star cluster, NGC6611, visible even with amateur telescopes, which sculpts and illuminates the gas and dust around it, generating gigantic column-like hollow formations of several light years each a.
More details here:Messier 16
The pillars are more transparent in this ESOinfrared view. Image source: (2)
Northwestern part of the region, well away from the centre. Image source: (3)
Open cluster within the Eagle Nebula. Image source: (4)
HST infrared view. Image source: (5)
A higher-resolution HST image of the "Pillars of Creation" was taken 20 years after the original. Image source: (6)