20-05-2025
Watch: UAE astronomers spot asteroid in Abu Dhabi skies
UAE astronomors have successfully spotted an asteroid in Abu Dhabi skies on Sunday, May 17, Astronomy Centre said on X.
The minor planet, called C44UN71, appears in a clip shared by the centre as a tiny dot in the sky among stars that show up as moving black lines.
The astronomical breakthrough was achieved by Abu Dhabi's Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory at 11am UAE time. Before the UAE, the asteroid has been spotted by two observatories in the US state of Arizona.
"Before being observed by the Al-Khatim Observatory, the inaccuracy in its coordinates was 0.4 degrees. After the observation, the Al-Khatim Observatory was able to reduce the inaccuracy to 0.0095 degrees," it added.
Earlier this month, stunning images of solar flames, sunspots were captured and compiled in one clip by UAE astronomers from the skies of Abu Dhabi.
The footage shows some solar prominences at the edges, small solar spicules all around the Sun's limb, a few dark solar filaments on the surface, and some sunspots.
