Take note, scientists. The famed Leonid meteor shower will return this month in November, and if you want to catch it, join the Dubai Astronomy Group.
The astronomy the company will conduct an observation night in Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah on Friday, November 17, where you can watch the Leonid meteor shower under the supervision of experts.
You must reserve your seats to attend here. General tickets for entry are Dhs250 for seniors and Dhs200 for children under the age of 13.
The event begins at 10 p.m. Why is it so late, you may wonder? The meteor shower is best observed when it is completely dark.
More than just gazing up at the night sky…
While the Leonid meteor shower will be the star of the show (get it? ), spectators will be rewarded with much more.
The evening begins with a Saturn watching, followed by a summary and conversation of the Orionid Meteor Shower. Following that, there will be a seminar on Arabian Astronomy and a sky mapping a seminar (tales about constellations).Any hot questions can be addressed during the Q&A session, after which you will be able to observe Jupiter, Saturn, and other deep sky objects using a telescope.
You’ll even be able to take pictures of celestial bodies through the telescope with your phone.
Please keep in mind that your night legally ends at 3pm, so make sure you’re well rested before driving here, or fill up on (a lot of) coffee.
Why is it called the Leonid meteor shower?
The meteor shower is known as the Leonids because the spot in the sky where the meteors show up is in the constellation Leo.
If the sky is really black, you can be able to view 10 to 15 Leonid meteors each hour. One night around 1966, the meteor rate reached dozens per minute, and it rained like rain, said earthsky.
