Today's Edition
A.SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
An Abu Dhabi-based observatory has captured a striking image of the Seagull Nebula, located approximately 3,650 light-years from Earth.
Al Khatim Observatory, situated in the desert between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, achieved this after 33 hours of imaging.
Observatory Director Mohammad Odeh told Aletihad that the Seagull Nebula, designated as IC 2177, is a prominent emission nebula positioned along the border between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major.
Monoceros is a faint constellation to the east of Orion, while Canis Major is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. The nebula's location near these constellations makes it an intriguing target for astronomers and astrophotographers, according to online sources.
The vast region of ionised hydrogen gas (H II region) is illuminated by radiation from nearby hot, young stars, causing it to glow and making it a notable celestial feature.
The nebula's distinctive shape resembles a seagull in flight, leading to its popular name.
“The nebula region spans approximately 200 to 240 light-years across, with an apparent diameter of about 2.5 degrees in the sky—equivalent to five full moons,” said Odeh.
“This nebula region contains several celestial objects with different characteristics, most notably NGC 2327, an emission and reflection nebula embedded with a massive star, forming the ‘head’ of the seagull,” the observatory director added.
“The small blue arc visible to the right of the centre of the image is a bow shock caused by the star FN Canis Majoris, which appears as a bright object near the arc.”
The observatory team, led by Odeh, includes Haitham Hamdi, Osama Ghanam, Anas Mohammed, and Khalfaan Al Nuaimi.
Al Khatim Observatory is a fully remote and robotic facility operated by the International Astronomical Center. Established in January 2021, it is located approximately 50 kilometres from Abu Dhabi and is registered with the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.
