Under the vast expanse of the Al Qudra desert sky, more than 300 UAE residents experienced a celestial marvel on Saturday night as the Geminids meteor shower painted the darkness with thousands of shooting stars. Organized by the Dubai Astronomy Group, the event transformed the dunes into an open-air planetarium where generations gathered until 2am to witness one of nature’s most dazzling astronomical displays.
The meteor watching brought together enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds, all united by cosmic wonder. Natalia, a Russian expat who relocated to the UAE in 2022, arrived directly from Dubai Airport with her family after flying from London. ‘My granddad was an astronomer, so the stars were always an important part of growing up,’ she shared, emphasizing her desire to pass this astronomical heritage to her children.
For many families, the event became an educational pilgrimage. Indian-French siblings Riya and Rithi attended with their parents, who previously visited Al Qudra independently for meteor viewing. Their mother, Supriya Aggarwal, explained the philosophical dimension: ‘I want the kids to gain interest in astronomy so they realize our problems are small compared to the universe’s vastness.’ The children handled an actual million-year-old meteorite provided by DAG, valued at thousands of dirhams.
Chinese expat Ivan, a veteran amateur astronomer with decade-long experience organizing space events in China, found the Dubai gathering particularly impressive. ‘I have never done something like this so far from the city,’ he remarked, noting how the meteors served as timeless travelers from distant cosmic realms.
The event’s success relied heavily on dedicated volunteers like 12-year-old Safiya, who has assisted DAG for four years, and 16-year-old David, an astrophysics student specializing in telescopic equipment and astrophotography. David described the reward of watching first-time observers: ‘When I see them looking at the sky for the first time, it reminds me of my initial telescope experience.’
Despite challenges like long queues and occasional clouds, participants captured celestial images through specialized techniques, including smartphone photography through observational telescopes requiring 30-second exposures with night mode enabled. The Geminids shower not only offered visual splendor but also reinforced humanity’s humble place in the cosmos through scientific education and intergenerational storytelling.