The Lake Nebula observed from Qasr Al-Kharana: a window into the depths of the universe

Arab Weather - From the heart of the desert to the depths of the sky, and on a clear night when the Jordanian desert sky was decorated with its glittering stars, a team of astronomical photographers from the Jordanian Astronomical Society and the International Astronomy Center were able to observe and photograph the Lagoon Nebula from the historic site of Qasr Al-Kharana, which is located about 60 kilometers east of the capital, Amman. This iconic image comes within the framework of scientific and astronomical efforts to discover the beauty of the universe from the land of Jordan and promote astronomical tourism .

The Lagoon Nebula, located in the constellation Sagittarius, is a vast cloud of gas and dust, one of the most active star-forming regions in our galaxy. Due to the nebula's high mass and dense gases, young stars are being formed within it, radiating high energy that ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, giving the nebula its enchanting pink glow and making it an ideal target for astrophotographers .

The nebula was observed 4,100 light-years from Earth, with an apparent magnitude of 4.6. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint cloud under ideal astronomical conditions. Thanks to the low light pollution at the site, it was measured using precision light pollution meters at a magnitude of about 20.69, which enhanced the conditions for capturing high-quality images of the nebula and its details. Another nebula, Messier 20, also appears at the top of the image, also called the Trifid Nebula, meaning divided into three sections. It is an open star cluster and an emission nebula. There is also a dark region in the center that divides the nebula into three regions. The Trifid Nebula was the subject of a study conducted by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope in 1997 , using filters that isolate emissions from hydrogen atoms, ionized sulfur atoms, and doubly ionized oxygen atoms .

The nebula was observed and photographed by Ammar Al-Sakaji using a computerized telescope, while Anas Sawalha and Haitham Hamdi handled the image processing. Hundreds of images of the nebula were stacked and processed. The collaborative work revealed fine and dazzling details of the nebula's structure and color gradations, adding an aesthetic and scientific dimension to the scene .

This observation reflects the importance of exploiting Jordan's natural, archaeological, and historical sites for scientific, astronomical, and cultural purposes. It also enhances astronomical tourism, where cultural heritage meets astronomical observations, documenting the relationship between humanity and the universe across time and space .

Documenting such phenomena from Jordanian sites contributes to raising awareness of the importance of astronomy and encourages new generations to interact with the sky, learn its secrets, and draw lessons from its vastness and magnificence .

See also:

From the skies of Jordan: Observing and photographing the star "T Coronal North", expected to explode soon.

The Jordanian Astronomical Society observes the crescent of Jumada al-Akhirah 1446.