If you've been meaning to get out of the city and look up, this week is the one to do it. The Perseids meteor shower, one of the strongest seen in the region each year, reaches its peak on Wednesday, August 12, and this time round it lines up with a new moon, meaning none of that washed-out glare that usually dims a good sky show.
The Perseids happen annually when Earth ploughs through a trail of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. At their best, they can throw up to 100 long, colourful streaks across the sky every hour. The exact peak is expected around 1:30am on Thursday, August 13, so the real window worth staying up for runs from late Wednesday night into the small hours.
For anyone who wants to make a proper night of it rather than just stepping onto a balcony, the UAE Astronomy Group is running an observation event out in the Al Khatim Desert in Abu Dhabi. It starts at 11pm on August 12 and continues until the early hours of August 13, with meteor watching, guided astronomy sessions, telescope observations and chances for astrophotography. There's also a possibility of spotting comet 10P/Tempel 2 through the telescopes, though that depends on the weather and sky conditions on the night. Tickets are Dhs160.
If the desert drive isn't for you, or you'd rather find your own patch of dark sky, there are a few well-known spots worth considering depending on where you're coming from.
- Al Quaa Milky Way Spot: about 90 minutes from Abu Dhabi, roughly two hours from Dubai
- Al Qudra Desert: around an hour and a half from Abu Dhabi, about an hour from Dubai
- Hatta, in the Hajar Mountains: around two and a half hours from Abu Dhabi, about one hour 45 minutes from Dubai
Wherever you end up, the basic idea is the same: get away from city light, give your eyes time to adjust, and be patient. The Perseids reward people willing to sit still for a while, and with the moon out of the picture this year, conditions are about as good as they get in the UAE.
Reported by What's On.