The US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has praised an amateur stargazer
for a photograph that they took of a cosmic bubble. Cirencester’s
Russell Discombe, Colorado’s Joe Navara, and Essex’s Glenn Clouder spent 30
hours photographing the Crescent Nebula. NASA named the image Astronomy Picture
of the Day (APOD) on June 17. Discombe, a sports lecturer, described
their image being chosen as a “huge shock.”

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“I’ve only been doing this hobby for year-and-a-half,
starting just before the lockdown, so I never really dreamt I would get an APOD
– I’m absolutely delighted,” he added. To add to its archive, the
space agency selects the best photos from around the world, including those
from professional and state-run organisations.

The China National Space Administration had previously been
named APOD for a photograph of its new rover landing on Mars.

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Discombe said that it was challenging to get the detail of
the nebula. He said that he took five-minute exposures and Jo and Glen took
10-minute exposures and they had to take multiple exposures and combine them.

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A nebula is a large cloud of dust and gas that can be formed
by the explosion of a dying star or by regions where new stars are forming.
“We didn’t set out to create an amazing image; it was just a bit of fun
and nice to collaborate with other like-minded people,” he added.
“This is just a little something extra.”