Geminids meteor shower in the UAE: How to watch, where to watch and what time to expect celestial event

Stargazers in the UAE are gearing up for the Geminid meteor shower , one of the year’s most keenly awaited celestial events, set to peak on the night of December 13 into the early hours of December 14. The Geminids are known to be bright and colourful, with about 120 visible meteors per hour when the shower is at its most intense. They come from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group , told The National . “This makes them unique and one of the most reliable meteor showers of the year,” she said. This year’s full moon might reduce visibility, particularly for fainter meteors, but the Geminids’ bright and slow-moving meteors should still be visible to the naked eye. The best way to witness the meteor shower is by heading to dark, open areas far from city lights, such as the desert. The prime viewing time is just after midnight. “You don’t need any special equipment or telescopes to see it. Just find a spot with a wide open view of the sky, lie back and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 20 minutes,” said Ms Ahmed. The Dubai Astronomy Group will be hosting an observation event at the Al Qudra Desert on December 13, from 9pm onwards. There will be six telescopes available for guests, including an astrophotography session. Tickets range from Dh100 to Dh150. The Geminids are active annually between November 19 and December 24, with their peak coming in mid-December. When the meteors pass the debris trail of the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, particles enter the atmosphere at high speeds, burning up and creating the striking streaks visible in the night sky. Nasa describes the Geminids as one of the “best and most reliable meteor showers” due to their consistent activity and bright meteors, which are often yellow in colour. “The Geminids first began appearing in the mid-1800s. However, the first showers were not noteworthy with only 10 to 20 meteors seen per hour,” Nasa says on its website. “Since that time, the Geminids have grown to become one of the major meteor showers of the year.” The next meteor shower expected to be visible in the UAE are the Quadrantids, which are set to peak on January 3-4, 2025. The meteors come from leftover comet particles and broken asteroids. The Earth passes through these debris trails each year, allowing the meteors to collide with the atmosphere, where they disintegrate and create colourful streaks in the sky, according to Nasa. In ideal weather, up to 60 meteors per hour can be spotted. A planetary parade is set to be visible from January 11 onwards, in which six planets, including Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn, will appear in the night sky. A Mars Opposition will also take place on January 16, which is when Mars, Earth and the Sun align in a straight line. When this happens, the Earth is positioned directly between Mars and the Sun, making the Red Planet appear brighter, larger and more vibrant in the night sky.

Geminids meteor shower in the UAE: How to watch, where to watch and what time to expect celestial event

More than 100 meteors per hour expected to shoot across the skies when the celestial event peaks this Friday