The night time skies over Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Governorate have been seen like by no means earlier than after {a photograph} taken within the area was chosen by the NASA because the “Astronomy Image of the Day” this week.
The picture, printed by NASA on August 25 underneath the title “The Meteor and the Star Cluster,” exhibits a inexperienced glow from a meteor crossing the Pleiades star cluster in a one-hour-long publicity.
It marks the primary time a picture captured from AlUla has appeared on NASA’s platforms, reinforcing the governorate’s international popularity as a vacation spot for stargazing and astrophotography.
NASA highlights Saudi {photograph} taken in AlUla
The {photograph} was taken between Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Website, and Gharameel Nature Reserve—the one two websites within the Gulf to carry the celebrated Darkish Sky designation from DarkSky Worldwide.
This recognition was made attainable with the assist of Manarat AlUla, which is accountable for defending the area’s pristine night time skies and strengthening its place in astro-tourism.
AlUla’s skies rank among the many high 5 per cent of observing websites worldwide for darkness and lack of sunshine air pollution, providing situations supreme for astronomy lovers.
Nasa credited the picture to Yousif Alqasimi and Essa Al Jasmi.
Accompanying the gorgeous picture on social media, NASA mentioned: “Typically even the sky surprises you. To see extra stars and faint nebulosity within the Pleiades star cluster (M45), lengthy exposures are made.
“Many instances, much less fascinating objects seem on the exposures that weren’t supposed — however later edited out. These embrace caught pixels, cosmic ray hits, frames with vivid clouds or Earth’s Moon, airplane trails, lens flares, faint satellite tv for pc trails, and even insect trails.
“Typically, although, one thing actually fascinating is caught by likelihood. That was simply the case a number of weeks in the past in al-Ula, Saudi Arabia when a vivid meteor streaked throughout throughout an hour-long publicity of the Pleiades.
“Together with the well-known vivid blue stars, much less well-known and fewer vivid blue stars, and blue-reflecting mud surrounding the star cluster, the quick rock fragment created a particular inexperienced glow, possible as a consequence of vaporised metals”.
Officers famous that the NASA recognition affirms AlUla in Saudi Arabia’s rising standing as a number one international vacation spot for astro-tourism, the place guests can expertise distinctive nightscapes and discover the wonders of the universe.
