‘Christmas comet’ to speed through UAE skies this weekend
Santa’s sleigh is not the only thing to search for in the skies over the UAE this month.
46P/Wirtanen, which has been named the Christmas comet by astronomers, will pass closer to Earth this weekend than it has in more than 400 years.
Although still 11.5 million kilometres away, the comet is officially the 10th closest on record and the brightest to appear in the skies this year.
Astronomers say it should be visible to the eye from Friday to December 18 – although you may need to keep a pair of binoculars or a digital camera to hand to see it if you are in the city.
Although theoretically bright enough, the light reflected from the comet is spread over a large area called a “coma”.
Wirtanen has a diameter of about 1.2 kilometres and swings by Earth every five years or so.
It is classed as a hyperactive comet, meaning it has more ice in its nucleus than would normally be expected for its size.
As it approaches the Sun, the ice melts, turning into a cloud that becomes part of the comet’s coma.
“Wirtanen will make its closest approach to the Sun on December 12 and will come closest to Earth on December 16, when it swoops within 11.5 million kilometres of our planet,” said Hasan Al Hariri, head of the Dubai Astronomy Group.
“The comet currently resides among the background stars of Taurus, between the magnificent Pleiades star cluster and the star Aldebaran. This area remains visible nearly all night, but climbs highest in late evening.”
The appearance of the comet will coincide with the peak of the Geminids meteor shower, said to be one of the best meteor showers of the year and described by astronomers as not only bright, but “fast and furious”.
This year there is expected to be more than one meteor per minute, or about 100 per hour.
Emirati astronomer Thabet Al Qaissieh, who runs Al Sadeem Observatory in Al Wathba, said the annual event has been called the “king of meteor showers”.
“It runs for more or less a month, but peaks around December 13 or 14,” he said.
“It would be harder to see it in the city, much harder, which is why we are holding an openhouse event at the observatory. It should be exciting. Last year we saw two really bright meteors. They were amazingly bright.”
Mr Al Qaissieh’s event, at his observatory in Al Wathba, is free of charge and starts from 10pm tomorrow. The temperature reached a relatively chilly 17°C a couple of nights ago, so people may want to bring a jacket, he said. Dubai Astronomy Group is also holding a special event on Friday, from 10pm to 4pm, at Al Qudra in Dubai.
Activities will include guided observations using a telescope and the naked eye, a star decoding session and a Q&A talk.
Tickets are Dh120 for adults, Dh70 for children and Dh50 for Dubai Astronomy Group members.