Thick Fog Hides the Suhail Star in Khor Fakkan on August 24 Rising
Down along the Khor Fakkan coastline, early morning visibility took a direct hit on Monday as a thick blanket of fog and heavy humidity rolled in, obscuring what astronomers look for all summer long.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, was on site in Khor Fakkan to document the event as part of ongoing efforts to track the star’s arrival from different points across the country, following previous observations from Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, Jebel Jais, and various southern and coastal spots. But nature had other plans for the calendar.
While calculations peg August 24 as the exact date for the star’s annual rise, catching it with the naked eye on day one is rare. Over the past 10 years, actual sightings generally happened between August 26 and 28, with only one or two sightings on August 24 itself over that entire decade. Humidity climbing past 80 per cent, combined with morning fog, dust, and local lights, kept the Star of Yemen entirely out of sight this morning.
Residents hoping for an immediate break from the outdoor heat shouldn’t pack away their summer gear just yet. The appearance kicks off Sufriya, a roughly 40-day transitional period where the intensity of the summer begins to ease, but the change takes its time.
Daytime temperatures are set to remain high through September. The shift shows up first after dark, bringing noticeably milder nights while lingering daytime heat behaves much like a cooking pot that stays hot long after the flame turns off.
Clearer weather is expected to push through in the coming days. Ordinary clear skies should give the general public a clear, naked-eye view of the star starting around August 28.
