You will be able to to see Saturn in the night sky in the UAE this weekend

Stargazers, listen up. This month we are treated to, not one, but two amazing celestial events. The first takes place this weekend on Sunday, August 27 where Saturn will be visible in the night sky. The next event comes four days after this with the sighting of the blue moon.

Read on to know more about these astronomical sighings in the UAE

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Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is dubbed the jewel of the solar system due to its beautiful rings.

This year, the planet will be visible brighter in the sky on Sunday, August 27, as it will be in opposition with the Earth.

In astronomy, ‘opposition’ is a phenomenon when two celestial bodies appear in opposite directions in the sky. In this case, the Earth will pass between the sun and Saturn, due to which Saturn will be seen closer and bigger in the sky.

*Watch: Incredible video of Saturn captured from UAE mountain*

In Dubai, you can join the Dubai Astronomy team at Al Thuraya Astronomy Center in Mushrif Park to observe the fifth planet. The event begins at 7.30pm on August 27 and includes a lecture, a question and answer session, and observation via telescope where you have the chance to snap a photo of the planet. It is priced at Dhs30 for children and Dhs50 for adults.

Register here. 

This is a rare celestial event – we are talking once in 20 years kind of rare. The blue moon sighting which is expected to happen on the night of Thursday, August 31 is a moment when the Moon is at its closest point to the Earth.

A supermoon occurs approximately three to four times a year. According to NASA, ‘About 25 per cent of all full Moons are super Moons, but only 3 per cent of full Moons are blue Moons.’

The time between super blue Moons can vary considerably. It could go up to 20 years, but usually, they occur every 10 years on average. After this event, NASA claims the next super blue moon will occur in a pair, in January and March 2037.

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Sad to say, but, no.

Contrary to the name, this phenomenon is not named because the moon will turn blue, but cause two full moons are being sighted within a span of 29.5 days or within the same calendar month. A supermoon is when the moon is at its closest point to Earth. Residents in the UAE will get a chance to witness a combination of the two celestial spectacles, a super blue moon, which takes place once every 20 years.

While it won’t be possible to catch the sightings anywhere in the city (thank you light pollution) the Dubai Astronomy Center is hosting observatory sessions at the Al Thuraya Astronomy Center in Al Mushrif Park on both days. The blue moon sighting event costs Dhs60 for adults and Dhs40 for kids under 13 and the Saturn sighting event costs Dhs50 for adults and Dhs30 for kids under 13.

Buy tickets here.

Although Al Sadeem Astronomy Centre is closed for August, Abu Dhabi residents don’t have to miss out. Just over a 90-minute drive away from Dubai, the Al Quaa Milky Way spot is the darkest place in the UAE and offers a stunning landscape with deep desert spaces and plenty of areas to watch the night sky without being interrupted by lights.

Images: Instagram/supplied

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