UAE: Residents can catch spectacular celestial display coming up this week

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Get ready to be dazzled by a celestial spectacle this weekend. The Perseids Meteor Shower, known for being one of the most impressive annual meteor displays, is taking place this week and UAE residents have the opportunity to witness them with the naked eye on both Saturday and Sunday.

According to the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG), the 2023 Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. It is expected that the Perseids this year will produce up to 100 meteors per hour at a dark site. This year, it peaks right before a new Moon, meaning the skies will be particularly dark, which is ideal for viewing.

As the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, it creates a mesmerizing display of shooting stars that streak across the heavens. The comet, which last passed close to Earth in 1992, left behind bits of ice and rock. Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth and is next expected to pass close by in 2126

How and where to watch

To best see the Perseids, residents have been advised to go to the darkest possible location. According to the DAG, those wanting to see the spectacle won’t need any telescopes or binoculars. However, it is important to reach early and allow about 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the dark. Sky watchers have been advised to keep the heat and humidity in mind when preparing for the event.

The DAG will host a special event on August 12 at the Al Awir Desert in Dubai. The event will start at 10pm and is expected to run till at least 3am on August 12. Tickets are priced from Dh200 onwards and will include Jupiter, Saturn, and deep sky object telescope observations, astrophotography session and sky mapping among other activities.

There have been several celestial spectacles this year visible to UAE residents. In June, the June Bootod meteor produced a magnificent meteor shower. In March, five planets, including Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Mars lined up together in a small section of the sky. Earlier this year, UAE residents also got the rare chance to witness Comet 2022 E3 that passed close to the Earth for the first time in 50,000 years.