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Look: 332 meteors from the Perseids observed in moonlight-free Oman skies
The astronomical activity reached its peak between 3 and 4am with 108 meteors recorded
- PUBLISHED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 5:34 PM
A total of 332 meteors from the Perseid meteor shower were observed and documented in the skies of the Sultanate of Oman early on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as part of a project that helps to build an observational record of astronomical phenomena observed in the skies of the Sultanate.
Ideal astronomical conditions coinciding with the new moon phase provided a dark, moonlight-free sky that contributed to observing the hundreds of meteors and recording the shower's activity rate over several hours.
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The process of the observation and documentation of the meteors in Oman started at 12am, and the Preseids counts increasingly increased throughout the night. Between 12 and 1am, 42 meteors were recorded, rising to 62 meteors from 1 to 2am. A total of 85 meteors were spotted between 2 and 3ama, before astronomical activity reached its peak with 108 meteors recorded between 3 and 4am.
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Oman's news agency shared stunning photos of the sky filled with bright meteors at night. Take a look:
The observation process took place at a suitable location far from sources of light pollution with the participation of seven people, the news agency quoted Ibrahim Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Astronomical Society, as saying.
Before the documentation process began at 12am more than 35 meteors were recorded in the Gulf country's skies. With the start of systematic documentation until 4am 297 meteors were recorded.
Why does Oman document Perseids?
By carrying out the observation and documentation of thesee celestial bodies, Oman aims at studying the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR), which serves as an important indicator in studying meteor shower activity. Collecting data regularly over years provides information regarding the nature and distribution of dust and debris left behind by the comet "Swift–Tuttle" in its orbit around the Sun.
According to Al Mahrouqi, comparing activity rates from year to year reveals the density and distribution of debris and whether Earth passed through denser dust regions, in addition to developing models that help predict years that might witness strong meteor activity.
Studying the particles resulting from the comet and analyzing their sizes and distribution, he added, provides indicators of how the comet's nucleus disintegrates and changes over time. It carries practical importance in understanding the nature of space debris and assessing its potential impact on satellites during periods of high meteor activity.
About the Preseids?
The Perseids, which peaks in mid-August, is considered the best meteor shower of the year. With swift and bright meteors, Perseids frequently leave long "wakes" of light and colour behind them as they streak through Earth's atmosphere. The Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers with about 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour. They occur with warm summer nighttime weather allowing sky watchers to comfortably view them.
Perseids are also known for their fireballs. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and colour that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material. Fireballs are also brighter, with apparent magnitudes greater than -3.
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.