Photos: UAE astronomy enthusiasts view supermoon, meteor shower at Jebel Jais

Dubai: UAE experienced two phenomena in the night sky on August 12 - the Supermoon and Perseids meteor shower.

The Supermoon appears bigger than how the moon normally appears.

Not only was it be draped in orange hues—as every rising Moon is when seen on the horizon—but the full “Sturgeon Moon” also happens to be the final Supermoon of 2022.

Dubai Astronomy Group hosted a special event at the top of the highest peak in the UAE, the Jebel Jais mountain.

The event included viewing of the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn through a telescope; a strophotography session; sky mapping; naked-eye observation of the meteors, and more.

The celestial show is one of the highlights of many meteor hunters’ calendars due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.

It is called the Perseids because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. Astronomers call this point the meteor shower’s radiant.