Leonid meteor shower this weekend

PEAK OF CELESTIAL SPECTACLE FROM LATE FRIDAY TO EARLY SATURDAY

Peak of celestial spectacle in the sky from late Friday to early Saturday |

If the celestial fireball first thought as a meteorite last month was a downer, here’s your chance to see a real meteor shower right in the UAE this weekend.

A flaming fireball seen descending from the UAE night sky last month was thought to be a meteorite but was actually space junk, according to experts.

This time, UAE residents will get to see the real deal as spectacular “shooting stars” will streak through the night sky as the Leonid meteor shower hits earth this weekend.

This annual meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Leo, where its meteors appear to originate. It is responsible for some of the most intense meteor storms in history — with meteors falling at rates as high as 50,000 per hour sometimes.

Although these “storms” only happen rarely, UAE viewers will still get a celestial treat to an hourly rate of 10 to 20 meteors, according to Sky and

Telescope, on the peak date on

Friday.

The Dubai Astronomy Group is organising a public event to observe the amazing celestial phenomenon from Friday evening until early morning on Saturday.

Hassan Al Hariri, CEO of the Dubai Astronomy Group, said visibility this year will be excellent because the new moon will take place on November 18 that will provide a perfect view of the meteors. This means the shower will not be washed out by any lunar light.

The Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of Friday, and early morning of Saturday, Al Hariri said.

“Sky watchers may be able to see some meteors days before and after the peak. The moon will only start to show its face briefly around sunset, meaning there will be excellent viewing conditions for watching the Leonids,” Al Hariri said.

Aside from the meteor shower, other celestial objects may also be viewed using the group’s telescopes such as Saturn, stars, globular clusters, nebula and other deep sky objects.

Registration is required for public viewing.