It is a star-forming region located in the constellation of Serpens. Composed of extensive clouds of gas and dust, it is home to the young open cluster NGC 6611, whose massive stars ionize and shape the surrounding material.

The nebula became particularly famous for the “Pillars of Creation”, enormous columns of molecular gas where new stars continue to form. These pillars are sculpted by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from the young stars in the cluster.