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Abu Dhabi Astronomers Capture Rare Squid Nebula
Abu Dhabi’s Al Khatim Observatory imaged the faint Squid Nebula after 18 months and 150 hours of combined exposures.
Jan 06, 2026
Abu Dhabi’s Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory successfully photographed the extremely faint Squid Nebula after about 18 months of effort and roughly 150 hours of combined exposures, producing one of the rarest deep-sky images from the region.
The nebula, also known as Ou4, emits chiefly ionised oxygen and appears blue in images, contrasting with the red Flying Bat Nebula in the same field, with the Squid’s origin still scientifically unresolved.
A separate unrelated astrophotography image of the Squid and Flying Bat Nebula won a global prize in 2025 for faint-target imaging.
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