The Perseids meteor shower put on a dazzling display Tuesday night and into the early hours of today, as the celestial event reached its peak.
The showers, however, were fainter than usual this year because of a full moon that reduced visibility of the meteors.
They might have been slightly more visible on the night of July 24 when the showers first started, with moonless conditions.
Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at Dubai Astronomy Group, said the Perseids meteor shower takes place when Earth passes through the densest part of the debris trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.
“Unfortunately, there was a full moon just before the Perseid peak in August, meaning bright moonlight washed out many meteors during the peak nights, but that’s when you typically get 60 to 100 meteors per hour under moonless conditions.”
The Perseids are one of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year, which produces bright streaks of light as the particles burn up in the atmosphere, with the most intense activity typically on August 12 and 13.
The Dubai Astronomy Group hosted a stargazing event on August 12 in Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah for the public.
“We focused more on stargazing, observing all the visible objects in the sky with a sideshow of the meteor,” said Ms Ahmed. “As the meteor shower will continue till late August, we might host another event depending on the weather to observe the meteors on moonless nights.”
Al though the meteors were faint this time, the showers could be more visible next year because the event will take place in moonless conditions.
Mohamed Usama Ismail, lead of optical astronomy and tours at Al Sadeem Astronomy in Abu Dhabi, said viewing the Perseids comes down to “timing and luck”. He said visibility can vary from year to year.
“Last year, it was a bit strange,” he said. "People came to observe the Perseids on August 12 and 13 but didn’t see much. I wasn’t sure why. Then, on August 14, a group visited and saw no fewer than 50 meteors, so it’s all about luck.”
There have been reports in recent years that the Perseids’ intensity is declining and that the shower may not produce as many meteors as it once did.
Astronomers believe the showers are weaker now because thicker parts of the comet’s debris, which caused intense displays of meteors in the 1990s, have slowly spread out over time, causing fewer visible meteors today.
Al Sadeem Astronomy did not host a specific event for public viewing of the meteor shower, but tours of its observatory are available regularly. After the showers, the next celestial event set to take place in the UAE will be a total lunar eclipse, appearing in the skies on September 7. The Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, turning a deep reddish colour.
“This is one of the rare astronomical events happening in the UAE in 2025,” said Ms Ahmed. “We will host an event for the eclipse and encourage everyone to witness it. You don’t need any special equipment – just go outside and look up."
The first supermoon of the year, the Hunter’s Supermoon, will appear on October 7, followed by the Beaver on November 5 and the Cold Supermoon on December 4.
There are more meteor showers after the Perseids, including the Orionids’ peak on October 21 and 22, followed by the Leonids, peaking on November 17 and 18. The best meteor shower and often the most visible, the Geminids, will peak on December 13 and 14.
Perseids meteor showers - in pictures
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
THE%20SPECS
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Company%20profile
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
BLACK%20ADAM
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