In Photos: UAE residents witness spectacular meteor shower

More than 120 meteors fell in an hour from Dubai skies

Published: December 14, 2020 08:48 Pictures by Ahmed Ramzan, Staff Photographer and Compiled by Karishma H. Nandkeolyar, Assistant Online Editor

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UAE residents camp out in anticipation of the grand Geminid meteor shower on December 13, 2020. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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As star watchers got their equipment ready there was palpable excitement in the air - at its most prolific, 120 meteors were expected to fall per hour. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Dubai Astronomy Group members gather at Wadi Shawka to witness the Geminids Meteor shower. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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According to the DAG, the name of the shower comes from the constellation Gemini as the meteors seem to emerge from this constellation in the sky. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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“Meteors should be visible across the entire sky, though from Dubai, the radiant of the shower will appear 58° above your north-eastern horizon at midnight. This means you may be able to see around 120 meteors per hour, since the radiant will be high in the sky, maximising the chance of seeing meteors. The shower will be visible across the entire globe except for Antarctica, which gets 24 hours of sunlight per day during this part of the year,” DAG CEO Hasan Al Hariri said ahead of the event.. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Every year, in December, our planet Earth crosses the orbital path of an object called 3200 Phaethon, a mysterious body that is sometimes referred to as a rock comet. The debris shed by 3200 Phaethon crashes into Earth’s upper atmosphere at some 80,000 miles (130,000 km) per hour, to vaporize as colorful Geminid meteors. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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The Geminid meteor shower is nearly 200 years old, according to known records — the first recorded observation was in 1833 from a riverboat on the Mississippi River — and is still going strong. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Weather conditions were perfect for Geminids meteor shower, said Dubai Astronomy Group. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Residents set up for the meteor shower. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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The clear sky made it easier for residents to spot the meteors. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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A view of the night sky at Wadi Shawka. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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A view of the night sky at Wadi Shawka. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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A view of the night sky at Wadi Shawka. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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