‘Fireballs’ will shoot over the UAE this week, as an annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak on Wednesday night.
Up to 60 meteors and shooting stars per hour will fly across the night sky, creating a stellar show for spectators.
The showers began on July 17 but will be at their most intense between August 12 to 13, when they can be seen in different parts of the world.
Dubai Astronomy Group has organised a gathering this week for star-gazers in Al Qudra desert - an ideal location because of reduced light pollution.
"The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. They are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors,” the group said.
“The second quarter moon will block out some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.”
The meteorite shower is caused by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862.
It leaves behind a long trail of dust and debris during its 133-year orbit around the sun.
When Earth passes through the comet’s leftovers each year, it creates the meteor shower. The debris collides with the atmosphere and disintegrates, causing the colourful show.
The comet made it closest fly-by to our planet in 1992 and the next one will be in 2126.
Weather on the night of August 12 are expected to be a bit hazy, with the second quarter moon visible.
However, astronomers expect the larger and brighter meteorites in the showers to still be visible.
The event by Dubai Astronomy Group begins at 10pm on Wednesday and more information is available here. Face masks and social distancing is mandatory.
The next meteoroid shower will be the Geminids in December, which include 120 meteorites shooting across the skies per hour.
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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.
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It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
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With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
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The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
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“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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