Residents in the UAE can enjoy a special celestial event this Eid Al-Adha. On 27 June, there will be a beautiful meteor shower called the June Bootid, as reported by Khaleej Times.
The shower is also known as the June Bootids, and it happens every year in late June.
According to Sarath Raj, Project Director at Amity University, in Dubai, people can see the shower from sunset until about 5:02 AM when the radiant point sets below the western horizon. The radiant point is where the meteors seem to come from.
This year, the June Bootid meteor shower started on 22 June and will continue until 2 July. It gets its name from the constellation Bootes, where the radiant point is located.
The meteor shower occurs when debris from a comet called 7P/Pons-Winnecke collides with Earth’s orbit. Normally, the shower reaches its peak between 27 and 28 June. However, the June Bootids are a bit unpredictable, sometimes having bursts of activity and other times being less active.
The June Bootids are known for their slower-moving meteors and the bright trails they leave behind. They are associated with Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, which orbits the sun every 6.37 years. The number of meteors one can see per hour, called the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR), ranges from one to 10, assuming ideal viewing conditions.
It is important to know that the intensity and visibility of the June Bootids can change from year to year. Some years, there are very few or even no meteors, while other years may have more.
Although the June Bootids do not produce as many meteors as other well-known showers, like the Perseids or the Geminids, they are still a unique sight.
It is advised to find a dark place away from city lights and look towards the radiant point in the Bootes constellation during the late evening or early morning hours around the expected peak time.
Observers are urged to be patient and persistent when watching the June Bootids because they are often faint and sporadic. The shower will likely reach its peak around 9 PM when the radiant point is highest in the sky. However, note here that the moon may make it harder to see the meteors.
On 27 June, Dubai residents will also be able to see Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke in the Orion constellation. It will be quite faint and have a specific location in the sky.
Via Khaleej Times
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