Emirati team spots Suhail star in UAE skies, marking end of peak summer

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

An Emirati team was able to spot the ascent of the star Suhail in the skies of the UAE and perceive it with the bare eye.

The team, comprising members of the Dubai Committee for the monitoring of parents of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, observed Suhail with the naked eye in the Jebel Hafeet Desert Park on Sunday morning between 5:22 and 5:32.

Despite having observed Suhail the previous day, the team was unable to confirm its observation with certainty.

The star was observed and documented by Hamad Mohammed Saleh, Tamim Al Tamimi, Mohammed Al Kamali, Ibrahim Ghonaimat and Tariq Al Kamali.

Earlier on Saturday, the International Astronomical Centre (IAC) made an announcement regarding the forthcoming appearance of the star Suhail in the skies of the United Arab Emirates. The IAC made a statement via its account on the X platform, stating, “On the 24th of August, the star Suhail is set to rise on the centre of the Arabian Peninsula.”

The star Suhail is regarded as one of the most significant celestial objects in the Arabian Peninsula, with a historical fascination dating back to antiquity. Its appearance on the southern horizon at dawn marks the commencement of the countdown to summer in the region.

One of the indications of Suhail's appearance is the reduction in the angle of incidence of the sun's rays, which results in a gradual shortening of the day and a significant cooling of the late night.

Additionally, the sun's tilt towards the south, following its vertical position at the beginning of the summer season, is another phenomenon observed by the Arabs.

They celebrated the appearance of Suhail as a harbinger of the equinox atmosphere's gradual arrival.