{
  "id": 11185992,
  "title": "This Nebula Looks Like a Shark",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/this-nebula-looks-like-a-shark",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nautilus",
    "slug": "nautilus",
    "url": "https://nautil.us/this-nebula-looks-like-a-shark-1285445/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A striking photograph of a nebula resembling a shark has earned first prize in the Royal Observatory Greenwich's ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The image, titled \"This Nebula Looks Like a Shark,\" captures the Lynds Dark Nebula 1235, a silhouette stretching approximately 15 light-years in length, or the distance from the Sun to its closest stellar neighbor Proxima Centauri and back again. The Nebula was first observed in the 1960s but has recently gained public attention, thanks to the remarkable shot taken by photographer Ali Alobaidly.\n\nAlobaidly’s photograph was praised by competition judges for its perfect rendering and cutting-edge astrophotography techniques. Competitor and BBC Sky at Night Magazine art editor Steve Marsh described the fine nebulosity as exquisite, noting that the image retains its quality even when zoomed in to very high magnification. Capturing this spectacular shot required considerable effort from Alobaidly, who carried over 330 pounds of camping and photography gear to the Al Salmy Desert in western Kuwait. He spent two nights in August 2025 patiently capturing frames using two paired lens telescopes fitted with monochrome cameras. The image was taken using red, green, and blue filters, and the full exposure time combined was over 28 hours.\n\nThe nebula, located approximately 650 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus, is primarily made up of interstellar dust that blocks out light from more distant stars. Small patches of dust in the image create a dark \"eye\" at the center, reminiscent of a shark's eye. Researchers believe that stars are forming within this nebula, and three young stars are visible as bright blue dots, illuminating the dust surrounding them. The dark \"eye\" is a tightly packed patch of dust that blocks out background light. As gravity continues to build in this region, it is possible that new stars will emerge within the nebula in the future.\n\nThe captivating image of the \"Shark Nebula\" has drawn comparisons to a predator drifting silently through space, camouflaged against the faint glow of the background stars. It is lit only by nearby blue-colored reflection nebulae. Unlike its oceanic counterpart, the Shark Nebula does not pose any threat, but it does photobomb astrophotographers with a molecular cloud so large that it makes Earth appear like a speck of plankton.",
  "summary": "In space, no one can hear the “Jaws” theme The post This Nebula Looks Like a Shark appeared first on Nautilus .",
  "key_points": [
    "Shark-shaped Lynds Dark Nebula 1235 captured in photograph",
    "Photographer Ali Alobaidly spent 28 hours capturing image",
    "Nebula located 650 light-years away in constellation Cepheus"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}