According to an expert, this unique cosmic phenomenon was captured from 900 light years away and spotted within the Sagittarius constellation.
What seemed like an ordinary night on Wednesday was extra special for UAE astronomers. Observers in Abu Dhabi, while watching the sky, spotted a familiar shape: a hamburger.
On Thursday, Dr Anas Sawalha of the International Astronomy Centre (IAC) shared a photo of the starry sky featuring two glowing discs that seemingly form a 'sandwich' — upon closer inspection, one can see the hamburger shape.
Dr Sawalha explained that this phenomenon is called 'Gomez's Hamburger,' named after its discoverer, Arturo Gomez. This object surrounds a newborn star.
"It is believed that from this disc, an entire star system will form, complete with its planets, asteroids, and comets," the expert said.
"It was previously thought that this object was a planetary nebula, but recent studies have shown otherwise."
From their vantage point at the Seal Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi, experts spotted the "cloud of dust and gas surrounding this star, which appears as a straight void between the two bright parts."
"As for the bright areas on both ends of the straight void, they are gases ionized by the intense radiation that usually accompanies newborn stars, and together these phenomena create the shape we see as a 'hamburger'," Dr Sawalha explained.
The expert added that this unique 'hamburger' appeared very small because it is 900 light-years away and was spotted in the Sagittarius constellation.
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