Latest news with #KhadijahAhmed
The National
08-04-2025
- Science
- The National
Pink micromoon to light up UAE skies on Sunday ahead of Lyrid meteor shower peak
A soft glow will rise over UAE skies on Sunday as the Pink Moon makes its annual appearance, which is the first full Moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Rising at about 7.08pm, local time, the Moon does not really appear pink, with the name originating from seasonal pink wildflowers that bloom around this time. 'This particular full Moon is also a micromoon, occurring when the Moon is near apogee (its farthest point from Earth), making it appear slightly smaller and dimmer than a typical full moon,' Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group, told The National. The astronomy group is hosting a community event at Al Qudra Desert to mark the occasion, which will include telescope observation, an astrophotography session and a lecture exploring the myths and science behind the Pink Moon. Tickets, which range from Dh100 to Dh150, are available on their website. Later this month, the Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak in the early hours of April 23, offering a chance to witness bright streaks of light dash across the sky. The Lyrids, which originate from debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, are one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records of observations dating back more than 2,600 years. While not the most intense of meteor showers, they are known for fast-moving meteors and the occasional bright fireball. Ms Ahmed said the Lyrids will offer modest display of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. 'While it's not the most intense shower of the year, this time we're in luck – the Moon will be only 39 per cent illuminated and rises around 2.03am, meaning its light won't significantly interfere with visibility during the peak hours before dawn. 'Stargazers may catch some bright meteors or even a fireball or two because of clear skies and minimal light pollution.' The next meteor shower will not be visible in the UAE until August, when the Perseids will light up the night skies. About 100 to 150 meteors are expected to streak across the skies.
The National
13-03-2025
- Science
- The National
How to watch Friday's blood moon total lunar eclipse
A "blood moon" total lunar eclipse is to be visible across many parts of the world on Friday, with the Moon appearing to turn red as it passes through Earth's shadow in a mesmerising celestial event. While it will not be visible in the UAE, it will be streamed live as the blood moon is seen in North and South America, Western Europe, Western Africa and parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The total lunar eclipse will begin at 7.12am UTC (11.12am GST) and will end at 8.46am UTC (12.46pm GST). But viewers in some countries can enjoy a partial eclipse until 10.01 UTC (2.01pm GST). 'Skywatchers will witness a total lunar eclipse as the Earth aligns perfectly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a deep reddish hue on the lunar surface,' Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group, told The National. 'This fascinating phenomenon offers a remarkable opportunity to study Earth's shadow and the interplay of celestial mechanics.' A total lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight and casting a shadow on the lunar surface. During the eclipse, the Moon can appear to have a reddish tint, giving it the name 'blood moon'. 'During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears red or orange because any sunlight that's not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth's atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface,' Nasa explained on its website. "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected on to the Moon." Some observatories and online platforms, including YouTube channel, will provide live streams of the phenomenon, along with commentary from experts. Stargazers in the Emirates will be able to see a total lunar eclipse on September 7 and 8. It will be a rare opportunity to witness the phenomenon, with the next one not expected to occur until December 31, 2028. 'During this event, the Moon will turn red as it moves into Earth's shadow, offering a spectacular show for skywatchers across the region,' Ms Ahmed said. Meteor showers will also light up the skies in the Emirates this year, including the Perseids on August 12 and 13. Three supermoons will be visible from the country this year, on October 7, November 5 and December 4. Ms Ahmed said 2025 would be "an exciting year for astronomy lovers" in the UAE. "These events are not just fascinating, but also offer a chance to connect with the wonders of the universe," she added.
The National
21-02-2025
- Science
- The National
Asteroid alert should drive more space research
In an example of life imitating art, Nasa scientists this week raised the probability of a recently identified asteroid hitting the Earth in the next seven years to about one in 32. Coverage of this 'city killer' threat to humanity is reminiscent of the 2021 satirical Hollywood film Don't Look Up, in which a team of desperate scientists try – and fail – to warn the world's leaders than an extinction-level event is six months away. The possibility – however remote – that an asteroid between 40 to 90 metres wide could strike the planet and cause either an enormous tsunami or leave a crater 10 to 20 kilometres wide should be enough to focus attention on improving our space technology. Speaking to The National this week, Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group said researchers would continue to refine Asteroid 2024 YR4's orbit. 'We could stop an asteroid like 2024 YR4 if we act early,' he added 'but we need better tracking, more advanced tech and faster decision-making to be fully prepared.' Full preparation requires not just a deference to scientific and technical expertise, but global co-operation, too. Thankfully, even amid growing political division on our planet, many national governments are heavily invested in their space programmes and take advice from their experts seriously. The UAE is one such country. Not only has it successfully put two citizens into space, but it has developed and launched exploration devices such as the Hope probe, which is currently sending back data about Mars's atmosphere, climate and potential habitability. The Emirates also works closely with other space agencies, such as Nasa, on research and development that will inform humanity's next lunar missions. The country is in partnership with Nasa on its plans to build a permanent Moon-orbiting space station called Gateway. The UAE also has its own programme for exploring asteroids. The MBR Explorer, a 2,300kg craft being developed as part of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, is nearing its critical design review phase. It will eventually embark on a five-billion-kilometre journey to perform flybys of six asteroids and then deploy a lander that will touchdown on the seventh. Given this week's news about a rogue asteroid that may come too close for comfort, the more we can learn about these objects now, the better. Our world faces many acute problems such as the climate emergency, ongoing conflicts, future pandemics and economic uncertainty. It can be a hard choice for countries to devote significant amounts of their national budget and resources to space projects that can appear remote to people's daily struggles. However, well-funded and innovative space programmes not only offer technical solutions to current problems on Earth, they can prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians for work at the highest level. Such expertise will be vital in the future – incoming asteroid or not. Scientists say 2024 YR4 is mainly rock – a weaker material than a metal-rich object. This means there is a good chance of it burning up in our atmosphere if it does indeed cross our path in 2032. Fifty years ago, we may not have been able to even detect such an asteroid; now we can conceivably discuss using laser or ion beams to deflect the threat, should it arise. This shows how the continuing work to revisit the Moon, learn what we can from Mars and refine space flight are not expensive luxuries or experiments, they are key to securing humanity's long-term future.
The National
18-02-2025
- Science
- The National
Nasa increases chance of ‘city destroyer' asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 to one in 43
Scientists around the world are tracking a newly-discovered asteroid that has been given a one-in-43 chance of striking the Earth in seven years, and Nasa said the odds on could 'continue to rise'. The rock, designated Asteroid 2024 YR4, could hit on December 22, 2032, according to the US space agency. Scientists want to learn more about YR4's trajectory and size, but the asteroid is too faint to observe as it is moving away from Earth right now. It is estimated to be between 40 to 91 metres wide and could, in theory, unleash about 500 times the energy of the atomic bomb that hit the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Jonathan Ward, a fellow with the Royal Astronomical Society, told The National that several factors could influence the asteroid's trajectory, including the Yarkovsky effect, where the asteroid absorbs and radiates enough heat from the Sun that it changes course. 'We won't know anything better about its potential for an impact in 2032 until it comes back by the Earth in 2028. And in fact, we're going to lose it to Earth-based telescopes within the next several weeks,' he said. 'The James Webb Space Telescope will probably still be able to track it from infrared radiation (heat signatures) for a while. But we won't be able to track it all the way around the Sun.' Observations so far also show that the asteroid is a stony type rather than a metal-rich one, which means if it does reach Earth, it could break up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground. But if more detailed observations show it is metal-rich and with the current size estimates, it means the asteroid would create a force equivalent to as much as eight megatons of TNT, hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. It could create a crater hundreds of metres wide, with severe destruction in a 10 to 20km radius. A land impact near a populated area could cause mass casualties and infrastructure damage. If the asteroid hits an ocean, it could generate a tsunami that would produce waves tens of metres high near coastal regions. An atmospheric explosion would result in an even stronger blast, potentially causing citywide destruction. Historical asteroid events provide context for what could happen if 2024 YR4 were to hit Earth. In 1908, the Tunguska event in Siberia was caused by an asteroid or comet estimated to be 50 to 60 metres in diameter. The explosion flattened more than 2,000 square kilometres of forest. In 2013, the Chelyabinsk meteor, which was 20 metres across, created an airburst that shattered windows across hundreds of kilometres, injuring more than 1,500 people. Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group, told The National that researchers continue to refine the asteroid's orbit. 'The key issue is that the asteroid's path is still uncertain, and it's moving away from Earth, making it harder to track,' she said. 'We could stop an asteroid like 2024 YR4 if we act early, but we need better tracking, more advanced tech and faster decision-making to be fully prepared.' Nasa had carried out the DART mission in 2022, where it crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid to demonstrate how a space rock's course can be changed in the event of a real threat to Earth. Mr Ward said that mission was the 'best chance we have' in terms of mitigation, however, it would take about three-to-five years to prepare and launch. 'If we can change the course of the asteroid in such a way that its orbital period changes by 10 or 20 minutes, that will be enough for it to miss the Earth,' he said. 'But the problem is we don't know where the asteroid is going to be until 2028. So, that gives us little time to be able to launch a mission and intercept the asteroid directly.' Researchers are now using space-based infrared telescopes, like James Webb and Neowise to monitor the asteroid. Ms Khadijah said that a special space mission, similar to Nasa's upcoming NEO Surveyor, could also provide crucial data by tracking the asteroid in infrared, which is better for detecting dark space rocks. 'A nuclear detonation could be a last-resort option to push the asteroid off course – not blowing it up, just pushing it – but there are many legal and political challenges to using nukes in space,' she said. 'Another option would be laser/ion beams. These are more experimental ideas where lasers or ion beams slowly push the asteroid over time. They require technology that isn't fully developed yet, but in the future, they could offer a precise, non-destructive way to redirect space rocks.' The asteroid is classified as a Level Three threat under the Torino Scale, which is used to assess the risk posed by near-Earth objects like asteroids. Level Three means that the asteroid 'needs monitoring' and that there is a small chance of impact. For perspective, Level eight to 10 was the Chicxulub asteroid, an event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
