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29 March 2024

Meteor showers in Dubai and 10 things to watch out

In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower above a roadside silhouette of a Spanish fighting bull, conceived decades ago in Spain as highway billboards, in Villarejo de Salvanes, central Spain in the early hours of Monday Aug. 12, 2013. (AP)

Published
By Vicky Kapur

With Friday’s spectacular meteor shower, its parent comet is more closer and brighter. Astronomers maintain that the 209P/Linear comet has been picking up speed every night.

You can watch two Slooh webcast featuring views of the meteor shower beginning Friday [May 23]. Watch them directly through Slooh or in the windows provided below. The first webcast focuses on the comet that left the debris behind that has created the meteor shower (begins 2am, Saturday May 24). The live webcast of the shower from the Canary Islands starts (at 7am UAE time May 24). 

 

There may be 100 to 400 meteors per hour although many experts say that this could easily go up to 1,000 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower. The peak activity is expected to occur around May 24, 2014 7h UT (11am UAE time) although the night before is obviously the best time to watch the fireworks from UAE.

Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG) will be holding a public viewing to mark this “potentially once in a lifetime” event. Read: Meteor shower of decade: Where to watch in Dubai

“Predictions suggest that a new meteor shower will be seen on the 24th May as Earth is expected to cross the debris trail left by comet 209P/Linear. Based on professional forecasts, this meteor shower could turn out to be a unique meteor storm. A meteor storm could see dense outbursts of bright multiple meteors and provide in excess of 1,000 shooting stars an hour during its peak. Lowest expectation would be 60-100 meteors an hour.  You won’t want to miss this,” the DAG says.

209P/Linear is a periodic comet discovered on February 3, 2004, by Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (Linear) using a 1-metre (39 in) reflector. Initially it was observed without a coma and named 2004 CB as a minor planet or asteroid, but in March, Robert H. McNaught observed a comet tail which confirmed its existence as a comet. It was given the permanent number 209P on December 12, 2008.

The comet came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) two weeks ago, on May 6, 2014. Preliminary results by Esko Lyytinen and Peter Jenniskens, later confirmed by other researchers, predict that the comet may cause the next big meteor shower, which would come from the constellation Camelopardalis on the night of May 23/24, 2014.

Emirates 24|7 puts together a list of things that you need to keep in mind for the best viewing experience:

1. When and where. It could be your backyard or any open place. Or, if you’re so inclined, you could drive up to the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort where DAG is holding a public viewing event. The latter is advisable if you do not have the right equipment – suitable telescopes – to truly enjoy the display. If you can’t, don’t fret – the dazzling display will be visible to the naked eye. The date: May 23. The time: The public viewing event starts at 9pm although the real fireworks should be visible (from Dubai) later that night (around 3am to 5am), just before sunrise.

2. Get online. If the skies don’t oblige and remain cloudy (it’s a possibility), get online. The Virtual Telescope Project will be beaming the event live across the world as about 100 years old dust trails from this comet come very close to us on the night.

3. Ummm, which side of the sky? The constellation is quite close the North Pole, near Polaris. Face north (use a compass if you’re not sure or, like I do, use your car’s GPS to identify directions), and then track the sky as the constellation will swing down under it over the next few hours. Nevertheless, meteors will be streaking across all parts of the sky, so make sure you have a wide, unhindered view of the sky.

4. Give yourself time. You’ll know this if you’re a frequent stargazer, but for first-timers, remember that it takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Once done, avoid staring onto a street light or any other light as that will mean that you’ll have to again wait for your pupils to dilate and get accustomed to the dark to be able to spot celestial happenings up there.

5. Settle down comfortably. It’s not an half-hour affair or a 120-minute movie. The ‘show’ could last all night – so get comfortable. Make sure you have a comfortable bedding or mattress on which you can lie down facing up at the sky. You may need to be there for more than a few hours to make sure that you don’t miss when the sky really lights up with up to 1,000 meteors an hour (hopefully!). Get a flask full of coffee, preferably along with a few companions. And even as it is officially summers here, keep a comforter or a light blanket handy – you may need it. And choose an open space where you can lie back and see as much cosmic real estate as possible. The more sky you can see, the more meteors you can see.

6. Focus on your objective. It’s great to have the coffee and the company at hand – but don’t let that distract you from the task at hand. Meteors travel rapidly and some may zip across the sky in less than a few seconds. A chat about the growing Dubai traffic or rentals may just engross you enough to leave the sky unattended while meteors have a field day.

7. Telescopes are good, but don’t let them block your view. Seriously, telescopes are good to spot the celestial bodies and the goings on, but once you’ve done that, put them aside. They will only restrict your view while a naked-eye is best to watch the hundreds of shooting meteors make their way across the night sky.

8. Rest in the afternoon. You’re expected to be up all night if you want to have a great experience. It means that you need to be well-rested, or you’ll be in the danger of dozing off just when the showers are about to peak.

9. Social media is good. There will be others like you gazing at the night sky, and social media will be a good way to track what others are able to view, and perhaps share your own experience for it to be a nice community affair. Keep the screen brightness down, though (see point 4 again).

10. Enjoy. Do we really need to elaborate on this?