UAE residents will be able to observe the brightest celestial bodies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter during an event organised by the Dubai Astronomy Group on Friday.
The organisation will be marking International Asteroid Day with educational lectures on the universe and its secrets, and guests will get access to powerful telescopes to observe space rocks.
International Asteroid Day is held each year on the anniversary of the Tunguska event, one of the largest asteroid impacts in history, when an impact near the Podkamennaya Tunguska river in Siberia caused about a 12-megaton explosion on June 30, 1908.
Three people are believed to have been killed in the event, which also flattened an area of forest measuring 2,000 square kilometres.
"Asteroid Day aims to raise public awareness about asteroid impact hazards and inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat," the Dubai Astronomy Group said.
"The evening will commence with a captivating lecture, taking participants on a journey through the formation of our solar system, the asteroid belt, near-Earth asteroids, and the vital role of asteroid research in unraveling the secrets of the universe.
"Expert astronomers will shed light on these celestial wanderers, fostering a deeper understanding of their composition and their impact on our planet."
See the brightest asteroids
Telescopes will show Ceres, the brightest rock in the main asteroid belt, and Pallas, the second brightest.
The UAE Space Agency is working on a mission that would explore that region, with the MBR Explorer spacecraft set to launch in 2028.
It is planned to fly past six asteroids to study them, then attempt to land on a seventh.
Scientists are interested in the asteroid belt because it contains remnants of the solar system and could give clues to how Earth and other planets were formed.
Nasa estimates that the belt contains between 1.1 million and 1.9 million asteroids larger than 1 kilometre in diameter, and millions more smaller ones.
Companies are also interested in the main asteroid belt, because it reportedly contains $700 quintillion worth of minerals such as iron, gold and nickel.
Protecting Earth from asteroid threats
Nasa regularly tracks space rocks to see if any pose a threat to Earth.
In 2021 it launched a craft to intentionally collide with an asteroid to see if it could deflect the object off course.
The successful test helped the agency determine whether it had the technology to deal with any possible real threats in the future.
The International Asteroid Day event organised by the Dubai Astronomy Group will be held at Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre in Al Mushrif Park. Tickets are priced from Dh40 ($10.89) to Dh60 and can be purchased on the group's website.
The group is planning a series of events in July and August, including summer camps and a public viewing of the Persids meteor shower that will light up the skies on August 12.
On August 27, Saturn will be at its closest point to Earth.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
