10,000-year trip ends in a stunning shot of Lion Nebula captured in Abu Dhabi

An observatory in Abu Dhabi has captured a picture of the Lion Nebula following a journey of 10,000 years. The Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory captured the image following a session that lasted 32 hours. The nebula lies in the constellation of Cepheus, located around 10,000 light-years from Earth. The Lion Nebula, comprising vast clouds of gas and cosmic dust, is roughly 270 light-years across. Researchers stated that light from the cosmic structure started travelling from the nebula towards Earth around 8,000 BC. The light took 270 years to cross the nebula’s width alone. The picture shows gas particles ionised by ultraviolet radiation from nearby stars, creating a distinct hue. HD 21156 and HD 211853 are the two stars that lit up the nebula. They are both monsters in their realm, with about 20 times the mass of the Sun.

The rich red tones in the photo are ionised hydrogen, while the blue shades indicate ionised oxygen, the researchers said. The visibility of the picture was enhanced by using a specialised optical filter to reduce light pollution. Earlier this year, astrophotographers from the Emirates Astronomy Society (EAS) captured the Crescent Nebula located in the Cygnus constellation, around 5,000 years ago. The nebula was created by strong stellar winds from a Wolf-Rayet star after it collided with material it released previously during its red giant phase.

Astronomers in the UAE also captured a stunning shot of the M16 Nebula, also known as the Eagle Nebula, this year. It was pieced together using images captured by smart telescopes set up in Jordan, the UAE, and the US over more than nine hours. The Eagle Nebula is located around 7,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation. It is best known for the "Pillars of Creation", columns of gas and cosmic dust that act like a womb for new stars.