The Perseids meteor shower were visible in the UAE and around the world on Monday night, offering stargazers a spectacular celestial event during its August peak.
Up to 100 meteors per hour passed across the skies, entering the Earth’s atmosphere at such high speeds that they created bright, explosive flashes of light.
The showers have been active since mid-July, but peaked on Monday and Tuesday, when Earth passed through the densest part of the debris trail left by the comet Swift-Tuttle, resulting in the highest meteor activity.
The Dubai Astronomy Group held a viewing event for stargazers at Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, the highest point in the Emirates.
"The event was a great success, attracting an enthusiastic crowd of 300 participants," said Khadijah Ahmad, operations manager of the group.
"The clear skies provided the perfect backdrop for a truly spectacular display of meteors, leaving everyone in awe."
During the event, the public also observed some of the night sky's most impressive celestial bodies, including Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and the Moon, as well as several deep-sky objects.
The Dubai Astronomy Group provided eight telescopes to stargazers for up-close and personal view of these wonders.
“The Perseids are one of the most spectacular annual meteor showers, known for their bright meteors and frequent fireballs,” said Ms Ahmad.
“The meteors originate from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the Sun approximately every 133 years.
“As Earth moves through the debris trail left by the comet, these particles and debris burn up in our atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light (meteors).”
No interference from the Moon
It was easy to spot the showers, as the Moon was first-quarter phase and 50 per cent illuminated, but set around midnight, when the showers were at their peak.
This means there was very little light interference from the Moon and those who observed away from city lights, saw a stunning show of meteors.
The next celestial event will follow only a few days later, when the first supermoon of the year will appear in the skies on August 19, set to be visible in the UAE and other parts of the world.
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Country: Galway, Ireland
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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La Liga: 2016/17
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• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
