The world is about to witness something extremely rare. This weekend, on 23-24 May, there will be meteor shower that many say will be once-in-a-lifetime event. UAE residents will also have the opportunity to watch how the cosmic spectacle unravels.
The reason why this meteor show is so thrilling is that it happens once over a period of many years. As a matter of fact, NASA scientists are not even sure that there has even been such a meteor event in the history of humanity. The special thing about this particular meteor shower is that it may include a meteor storm with a huge intensity – up to 1,000 meteors per hour.
The event, however, is said not to be dangerous, because the meteors will burn while they are still entering Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, what we will witness is actually glowing dust and bright meteor particles.
The meteor shower also has its own name – the Camelopardalid shower. It will consists of the “leftovers” from Comet 209/Linear, which is believed to come from the Camelopardalid constellation. The comet itself was first discovered in 2004.
Since astronomers have never witnessed such an intensive meteor shower, they are modest in the predictions. Even though NASA experts expect 1,000 meteors per hour, they also admit that the shower’s intensity may not reach 100 meteors per hour. One thing is for sure, the experience will be unique and we are not likely to witness another similar one… ever again.
For that reason, astronomers and enthusiasts from all over the globe are organizing public viewing events. DAG (Dubai Astronomy Group) will also hold one in Dubai, allowing visitors to observe the night sky show over the city through telescopes. There will also be live presentations and videos on the topic.
The United States and Canada are expected to enjoy the best view, since the event’s peak will coincide with the two countries’ night hours. However, other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, will also get to watch the spectacle.
Astronomers explain that the event will be visible with a naked eye. Those willing to see it will not even need binoculars. Still, in case it is too cloudy to see the meteor shower, there will be plenty of live and recorded webcasts you will be able to watch online.
