A spectacular meteor shower is set to light up the skies in the UAE this weekend.
The Perseid meteor shower is annual cosmic occurrence when the Perseid cloud stretches along the Swift-Tuttle comet and particles – or meteors – are expelled from it.
The event happens each year between July and August, normally peaking around the second week of August. This year, the Perseid’s peak will happen on August 12 and 13 in the UAE where, according to NASA, you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour.
According to the Dubai Astronomy Group, the Perseids is “one of the best meteor showers to observe”.
How to watch the Perseid meteor shower in the UAE
So, how and when can you watch this cosmic event in the UAE? The Perseid meteor shower will peak on August 12 and during the very early hours of the morning on August 13.
The Dubai Astronomy Group announced it will be hosting a viewing event in the Al Awir desert beginning at 10pm on Saturday (August 12) night and ending at 3am on Sunday (August 13) morning for Dhs300.
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Making it a whole experience, the event will include a Q&A session, sky mapping, dinner, observations through telescopes and more.
The Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah will also be hosting a viewing event with tickets costing between Dhs200 and Dhs280. Telescopes will be provided and experts will be on-hand to provide information about the Perseid meteor shower.
Of course, you will also be able to view the celestial event with the naked eye and some places will also be streaming the meteor shower.
Just make sure you mark your calendars for the peak timings, because blink and you could miss it.
