Ah the Perseids, a special time of the year for photography enthusiasts and sky watchers. For those of us living in the UAE, the opportunities for great sky events are few and far in between. This year, the perseids are expected to peak right around the weekend so it’s a perfect time to catch them. In all cases, you’re going to have to get out pretty far out of the city areas to minimize light pollution and get better viewing overall. The best way to know where to look in the sky is to download the Sky Map app for iOS and Android.
What are the Perseids ?
Without a doubt, the perseid meteor show is one of the best celestial events you’ll get to witness every year. Happening in August like clockwork NASA explains we get to see this every year “when Earth ventures through trails of debris left behind by an ancient comet”.
“Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. Each swing through the inner solar system can leave trillions of small particles in its wake. When Earth crosses paths with Swift-Tuttle’s debris, specks of comet-stuff hit Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate in flashes of light. These meteors are called Perseids because they seem to fly out of the constellation Perseus.” -NASA
This year is even more special as we’ll see an outburst. The normal viewing of the perseids has roughly 80 to 100 meteors per hour but the outburst this year means you’re going to see close to 160-200 meteors per hour thanks to Jupiter’s gravity pulling more comet material closer to Earth’s path. The last outburst happend in 2009 and you won’t get to see this kind of activity until 2027.
Where to watch them in the UAE ?
We’re expected to get a good view of the meteor shower but the best bet to see them is to get out of the city limits and into areas where light pollution is at the absolute minimum. The map above courtesy of Dark Site Finder offers a light map so you can decide what’s the best place. Here’s some tips for you to check out before you have your date with the stars.
- Keep in mind some areas of the UAE are regulated and it’s best to know from local authorities where it’s accessible before venturing out with camera equipment and a viewing party.
- The perseids are expected to peak between 12-4 AM on Friday, reach your spot early as it can take your eyes 45 minutes to adjust to the dark sky so reach early!
- The weather is quite warm this time of the year, even out in the desert, so dress accordingly and stock up on some cold coffee if you can.
If you’re not able to get outside and watch the perseids, you can still catch a livestream of the event here.
With inputs from Khalid Hussain
