The season is currently taking a turn and we start experiencing cooler evenings and foggy mornings. Wondering what’s going to be up in the sky for the approaching month? The following is a list of astronomical events for October 2017. All dates and times were given in Gulf Standard (UAE Local) Time. read more
The most pleasant season for the UAE is about to come. The air temperatures being experienced across the UAE are slowly getting cooler compared to the previous very hot and uncomfortable temperatures in which we tend to stay much of our time indoors without switching off our air conditioning units. read more
It has been a bittersweet moment for space exploration enthusiasts. The 3.26 billion US dollar spacecraft Cassini had plunged into the gas giant Saturn at exactly 3:55PM, September 15, 2017 (UAE Local Time) based on the record from National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) mission control after an approximately 20-year overall journey across space and Saturn. read more
On the evening of September 1, 2017, Al Sadeem Astronomy (ASA) Observatory observed the closest flyby of asteroid 3122 Florence. The asteroid was sighted and captured through the observatory’s 16” Meade LX850 Compound Telescope and a typical DSLR camera. read more
Last week was a very interesting week for solar observers and space weather enthusiasts. In spite its relatively quiet state as it heads towards solar minimum, our parent star, the Sun unleashed its dynamic state. Several active sunspot groups and its associated flaring activity were observed from both ground and space-based observations. Here is an overview of the series of significant solar activity events for the past week. read more
In the heart of the desert of Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, several observations were conducted in Al Sadeem Observatory of Vega; one of the brightest stars in the night located about 25 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Lyra (the lyre). read more
The “Ber” months have come. The season is about to change as summer is going to end soon and in the UAE, many holidays are approaching. Wondering what’s going to be up in the sky for the coming month? The following is a list of astronomical events for September 2017. All dates and times were given in Gulf Standard (UAE Local) Time. read more
On a clear dark night of August 12 until the early morning hours of August 13, 2017, Al Sadeem Astronomy (ASA) conducted an overnight observation of the Perseid Meteor Shower. read more
In Atacama Desert, a cauliflower like silica are recently found and studied by scientists and are believed to be produced microbes. Same cauliflower shaped structures are also found in the by the Spirit rover on 2007 and thought to be common features until the studies in the Chelean desert intrigues scientists to look back on this Martian feature found in Gusev crater.
These “cauliflower-like” features are made from Opaline silica sprouting in the Martian surface. Steven Ruff and Jack Farmer, both of Arizona State University in Tempe said based on their studies on the same features found in Atacama Desert, microbes could play an important role in the formation of this silica. If these theories are proved to be true, this would increase the possibility that in the past Mars was harboring life.
UAE desert (Image Credit: Google Sites)Summertime, the season of the year when some people head out to the beach and do such fun bonding activities, while others stay indoors to avoid getting tanned and cool down themselves with numerous fans and air conditioning units. Tomorrow, June 21st, marks the beginning of the astronomical summer, or in other words the summer solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere. In this article, we will have a deeper understanding of what it is, in astronomical sense, and what to expect when it approaches. The focus will be within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) setting, which is situated at the Northern Hemisphere.