UAE skies set to light up with meteor shower: Here’s where you can watch Perseids spectacle – News

The celestial phenomena this time of year are known for their incredible speed and splendor

Stargazers in the UAE can now enjoy the celestial spectacle as they get the chance to once again witness the splendor of the universe through the Perseid meteor shower.

This year’s peak showers are expected to start around 8:55pm (GST time) on the evening of August 12 and continue until the early hours of August 13.

It is worth noting that 2023 will be an ideal year to observe the Perseid meteor shower, because only 10% of the moon is illuminated, and the meteor shower will produce more than 100 meteors per hour.

Explaining the phenomenon, Sarath Raj, Project Director of Amity Dubai Satellite Ground Station and AmiSat, said: “Every year, the Perseid meteor shower occurs approximately from July 23rd to August 22nd, peaking late night to early morning on August 12th. between August 13th.”

He added: “The Perseids are caused by fragments of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. It has an orbital period of about 133 years and is expected to return in 2126. The Perseids’ radiant is in the British Seids, the constellation showers as its name suggests.” Raj highlighted that the Perseids produce as many as 100-130 meteors per hour at its peak. This celestial display is known for its incredible speed and brightness.

“The Perseid meteor shower is mostly made up of tiny particles, ranging in size from grains of sand to objects the size of a pea. When they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds in excess of 60 kilometers per second, friction with the air causes them to burn, causing scratches. Spectacular bands of light across the night sky.”

They often leave long-lasting marks and can be blue, green, yellow, or white in color.

“On August 13, 2023, in Dubai, Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle will be visible in the constellation Hydra. Its right ascension is 09 hours 39 minutes 51.1 seconds and its declination is -18 degrees 53 minutes 15.2 seconds. The comet’s magnitude is 36.85 with a height of 43 degrees.

He further explained that the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle has been studied extensively and its trajectory predicts that the Earth will be safe for 2,000 years after its collision with Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Explaining why this year’s meteor shower has minimal interference from moonlight, Raj said: “From around 8.55pm local time in Dubai on August 12, the Perseid meteor shower will be visible. At this time, the radiant point of the meteor will appear , will rise above the eastern horizon. The meteor shower will continue until approximately 5:25 the next morning on August 13. Observers in Dubai will have the opportunity to witness the meteor shower in all its splendor between 20:55 and 05:25. This is especially ideal because the meteor shower will peak near the new moon, thereby minimizing moonlight interference.”

This June, residents of the UAE had the opportunity to witness the spectacle of the June Buyid meteor, which peaked on June 27. “This meteor shower is visible from Dubai from sunset until around 05:02 am when its radiant falls below the western horizon,” Raj explained in an earlier interview with Khaleej Times.

The June Buyid meteor shower will be active from June 22 of this year until July 2, 2023.

The meteor shower is named for the constellation Bootes because the radiant — the point of origin of meteors in the sky — is located in that constellation.