2020’s first major meteor shower to hit UAE on Friday
The Quadrantid meteor shower can be seen late at night from January 3-4
Dubai: Stargazers are in for a treat as the first meteor shower of 2020 can be seen in the UAE this Friday night.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to peak late night on Friday January 3 until dawn of Saturday January 4. Peaks of the Perseid or Geminid meteor showers persist for a day or more, according to EarthSky.org, allowing all time zones around the world to enjoy a good display of Perseids or Geminids.
But the Quadrantids’ peak will only last for a few hours.
“The brightest meteor shower during January is the brightest, and we will see about 40 meteors per hour. The best time to see it is before dawn, starting at 2 after midnight on the northeastern side,” said Ebrahim Al Jarwan, Member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy.
The Dubai Astronomy Group will also be hosting a meteor-sighting event at Al Qudra Lake from 10pm-3am.
“Up to 120 meteors per hour are expected to enter the Earth atmosphere. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes but can appear anywhere in the sky,” announced the Dubai Astronomy Group.
Boötes constellation lies in the northern hemisphere, and is one of the largest constellations in the sky.
The constellation’s name is derived from the Greek langugae, which means ox driver, plowman, or herdsman.