In 2023, there will be a lot happening in the sky that you do not want to miss. The UAE skies would be full of meteor showers, solar eclipses, and crescent moons peeking out next to Saturn and Venus. It seems like it’s time to find a peaceful place in UAE to watch the meteor shower happening in the first week of January.
Stargazers Are In For A Treat This Year
Join us at Al Qudra Desert on the evening of the 3rd of Jan and the morning of the 4th to learn more about our night sky, observe different planets and objects through our #telescopes, and possibly see the #Quadrantids Meteor Shower!
Register Now: https://t.co/0XIim1NrF8 pic.twitter.com/1vHLWKHABr
— Dubai Astronomy Group (@dubaiastronomy) December 22, 2022
The yearly Quadrantids meteor shower will start the year off. The records suggest that the year will supposedly end with the spectacular Geminid meteor shower in December. Partial solar eclipses, opportunities to see Venus and Saturn, and supermoons to be on the lookout for will all occur in between.
What’s The Buzz About The First Meteor Shower Of 2023?
#WhatsNew Did you know meteor shower activity predictions for 2023 are now in our STI Repository? Find out what’s expected to put on quite a show by checking out this link: https://t.co/zYCf4h1zUy pic.twitter.com/6MsUyTaUi3
— NASA STI Program (@NASA_STI) December 7, 2022
You don’t need devices to view one of the year’s most amazing meteor showers.
Technically the meteor shower officially started tonight. But a clear and evident scenario would be visible on the announced night of January 3 and the morning of January 4. The shower, which typically produces 40 meteors each hour, is above average right now.
However, at a maximum, up to 200 blazing stars can be observed in a single hour. If you are lucky enough for the ideal circumstances to align with the optimum place on Earth, then you might witness a beautiful scene.
The debris whirls about the Earth’s atmosphere at about 43 mph per second (70km per second). However, next year’s full moon means that paler meteors won’t be as easily seen. So it’s better to travel as far away from the bustling lights and venture out to more rural, lonely locations.
Astronomers think that the meteors were caused by the dwarf planet 2003 EH1.
Also Read: Upcoming Meteor Showers Will Light Up The UAE Skies With Shooting Stars & More
January Has More Surprises In Store!
January 2023 is not only surprising us with a meteor shower. We also have another scenic beauty to witness on 23rd January.
On this day, a crescent moon should be seen in the southwestern sky about an hour or so after sunset, close to Saturn and Venus. A bright Venus and a fainter Saturn will be seen immediately beneath the thin moon. To avoid missing this incident before they disappear from view, you would need to leave right away.
Which locations will you head to for watching these starry nights in UAE?
Cover Image Courtesy: Media Gallery