The Earth's atmosphere is witnessing meteor showers known as the "Perseids," occurring from July 17 until August 24. The "Perseids" are named after the constellation "Perseus," which was referred to by Arabs as "the bearer of the head of the ghoul." The peak of these showers occurs on August 12 and 13 each year, with more than a hundred meteors visible per hour.
Ibrahim Al-Jrouan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, stated that the meteors shine brightly on dark nights when the bright moon is absent, or when there is no artificial lighting or air pollution that limits the naked-eye observation. He noted that meteors are divided into two main categories: first, "sporadic meteors" which can be seen with at least 5 visible during ordinary nights from different areas and at different times; the second category is "meteor showers," according to a report by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Al-Jrouan explained that the Perseids are named so due to the point of radiation between the stars of the Perseus constellation, with each meteor shower having its own specific point of radiation. The constellation consists of a number of stars imagined by ancient peoples in the form of a tool or an animal. He also pointed out that if the number of meteors exceeds one thousand in one hour, it is then referred to as a meteor storm.
