Stunning Milky Way captured over Abu Dhabi desert

Abu Dhabi: A team from the International Astronomy Center captured striking images of the Milky Way’s arm from the Abu Dhabi desert on Thursday evening, September 25, 2025, offering a breathtaking view of the galaxy’s core.

The photographs revealed thousands of stars scattered across the night sky, along with several prominent nebulae and star clusters, including the Lagoon Nebula (M8) and the Trifid Nebula (M20), both located toward the galactic centre.

The team noted that the Milky Way’s arm was visible to the naked eye — a rare sight made possible by the desert’s clear skies and minimal light pollution. Observers also identified some of the brightest stars in the Sagittarius constellation, along with numerous celestial objects catalogued as M, NGC, or IC, which refer to nebulae, clusters, and galaxies.

The observation team — Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Anas Mohammed, and Mohammed Odeh — carried out the session at the private observatory of Mashaal Al Mutairi, who hosted the group.