Latest news with #ImadMujahid
Jordan News
4 days ago
- Science
- Jordan News
Astronomical Society: Total Lunar Eclipse on September 7 - Jordan News
Jordanian astronomer Imad Mujahid, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy Sciences, stated that the skies over the Kingdom will witness a total lunar eclipse on the evening of Sunday, September 7. اضافة اعلان According to astronomical calculations, Mujahid confirmed in a statement today, Sunday, that the eclipse will begin at exactly 7:27 PM on Sunday, September 7, when the eastern edge of the moon starts entering the Earth's shadow. The shadow will appear as a slowly creeping darkness across the moon's surface. The eclipse will become total—meaning the moon's entire disk will be inside the Earth's shadow—at 8:31 PM. The moon will remain in total eclipse until 9:53 PM, when it will begin exiting the Earth's shadow and the northeastern edge of the moon will be illuminated again by sunlight. The eclipse will end completely at 10:56 PM when the moon fully leaves the Earth's shadow and is again fully illuminated by the sun. He explained that lunar eclipses are beautiful natural astronomical phenomena with no impact on Earth or humans. They occur when the moon is full and close to the Earth's shadow cone behind the planet. The moon does not pass through the Earth's shadow every full moon due to the 5 degrees and 8 minutes tilt of its orbit relative to the ecliptic plane, so it often passes above or below the Earth's shadow, avoiding an eclipse. However, sometimes the moon passes through the Earth's shadow, becoming 'captured' and causing a lunar eclipse. Mujahid clarified that during a total lunar eclipse, the moon does not completely disappear but rather takes on a coppery-red color. This reddish hue results from sunlight scattered in the Earth's atmosphere, which absorbs all wavelengths of sunlight except the longer red wavelengths. These red rays bend around the Earth's edges and illuminate the moon, giving it the characteristic reddish tint during the eclipse. Without this atmospheric effect, the moon would vanish entirely during totality. The intensity of the coppery-red color depends on the condition of Earth's atmosphere. If water vapor and carbon dioxide levels are high, they block much of the red light from passing through, making the moon appear dark and almost black during totality. Conversely, if pollution levels are low, more red light reaches the moon, making it appear bright copper-red. This phenomenon allows scientists to study the quality and pollution levels of the Earth's atmosphere.
Jordan News
04-08-2025
- Science
- Jordan News
Jordan's Night Sky to Light Up with Perseid Meteor Shower - Jordan News
Jordan's Night Sky to Light Up with Perseid Meteor Shower The skies over Jordan and the Arab world will light up on the nights of August 12 and 13 with the Perseid meteor shower, one of the most active and dazzling meteor showers of the year—featuring up to 100 meteors per hour. اضافة اعلان Jordanian astronomer and member of the Royal Astronomical Society (UK) and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, Imad Mujahid, stated Monday that the meteors will be clearly visible to the naked eye, without the need for telescopes or special equipment, and will appear like fireworks across the sky. He recommended viewing the shower from dark areas away from light pollution, such as Wadi Rum in southern Jordan, which is considered one of the best locations for observing such celestial events, where the meteors will appear even more striking and beautiful. Mujahid added that tourism entities are preparing to host astronomical camps in Wadi Rum to observe the Perseids and other celestial objects using telescopes. Attendees will also have the chance to view Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and its rings, and even the Milky Way galaxy. He explained that the Perseid meteors originate from the comet Swift–Tuttle, which leaves a trail of cosmic dust in its orbit around the Sun roughly every 130 years. Earth passes through this dust trail every August 13, resulting in a surge of meteor activity. Mujahid noted that meteors form when tiny dust particles enter Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds, reaching up to 70 kilometers per second. The intense friction with the atmosphere generates heat, causing the particles to glow brightly before fading in a matter of seconds. The meteors begin to burn at about 120 kilometers above Earth and disintegrate completely by 60 kilometers altitude, meaning they almost never reach the Earth's surface. And if any fragments do, they are minuscule and imperceptible to the human eye. — (Petra)
