'The universe put on a show for us': Meteor shower thrills UAE stargazers

Stargazers from across the United Arab Emirates ventured to the desert dunes on Wednesday night to observe the Perseids meteor shower. During its peak in the early hours, hundreds of meteors illuminated the sky, captivating those who had traveled to avoid city light pollution. This year's peak coincided with a new moon, creating ideal conditions for viewing.

Long lines of cars were spotted driving into the desert, and petrol stations along the route were crowded. Visitors flocked to locations such as Al Quaa Milky Way Spot and Mleiha National Park, setting up camp under the night sky. At a gathering in Abu Dhabi's southeast, participants built a fire, laid out rugs, and sipped karak as meteors streaked past at thousands of kilometers per hour.

Some meteors moved so swiftly that if one blinked, they could be missed, while others were bright fireballs that left glowing trails across the sky for a few seconds. Each meteor sighting elicited gasps and exclamations of awe from the group. UAE resident Soumen Mohanty described the experience as "a wonderful surprise," appreciating the peace of the desert and the vastness of the universe.

Mohanty estimated that they witnessed between 30 to 40 meteors during their time in the desert, calling the experience "humbling" and "beautiful." He even questioned whether some of the meteors he observed may have been missed, but even the ones they saw were incredibly impressive. One meteor appeared to be very close, as if it was a firework just above them, and Mohanty claimed he even smelled it, possibly due to a placebo effect or his brain linking the smell to the campfire and desert environment.

Other visitors shared their own reflections on the humbling experience, marveling at the beauty of our galaxy and the incredible shows the universe provides for us to observe and enjoy. Wednesday marked a remarkable day for astronomy enthusiasts in the UAE, as six planets - Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - aligned in the early morning, with some visible to the naked eye.

Later, millions in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and parts of Europe and North Africa witnessed a total solar eclipse, while the UAE did not experience the eclipse.