Skygazers in the UAE are in for a special treat with the Arietids meteor shower, which reaches its peak this Friday, June 7th. Unlike most meteor showers that are best viewed at night, the Arietids are at their brightest during the daytime. Sarath Raj, Project Director at Amity Dubai Satellite Ground Station and AmiSat, Amity University Dubai, explains, “It’s one of the strongest meteor showers, peaking around June 7. However, because it happens during the day, the bright sunlight makes it hard to see most meteors.” Keep reading to find out how you can view this cosmic show.
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How Fast Will The Meteors Go?
The Arietids can reach a Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR) of 60-200 meteors per hour at its peak. But spotting them is tricky due to the daytime brightness. The dust particles creating the Arietids are believed to come from Comet 96P/Machholz. As the comet orbits the sun, it leaves behind a trail of dust. When Earth passes through this trail, the dust particles collide with our atmosphere and burn up, creating the meteors we see. Raj notes, “Arietid meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere at around 21km per second, much slower than the average 59km per second for most showers. The dust stream is quite clumpy, which leads to variations in the shower’s intensity each year.” So, it looks like we’ll be seeing a much slower meteor shower, but that’s great for us because we get to look at these beautiful creations for longer.
Best Viewing Time
Experts suggest there is a chance to see some meteors during the final dark hour before dawn, even though the shower peaks during the day. “Unfortunately, catching the Arietids shower in Dubai is challenging due to its daytime peak. However, there’s a slight chance of spotting some meteors around dawn at 3 am on June 7th if we have a clear eastern sky with minimal light pollution.” So, if you still want to try your luck at viewing the meteor shower, make sure you’re in an open and clear area free of any light pollution – such as the desert. And Don’t forget to make a wish if you finally see them!
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