(MENAFN- The Peninsula) khalid elsawi |
The Peninsula online
Doha, Qatar: Tonight marks the first night of the star of Al Kilaibein, also known as Al Nathra, which is due to last 13 days, reported the Civil Aviation Authority in Qatar.
Al Kilaibein is the sixth of the stars of summer and the last star in Jamrat al Q'aith. The hot and humid temperatures will continue during this period, while the wind blows mainly northwesterly.
The star of Suhail however will appear in the middle of the Al Kilaibein, during which the temperatures begin to cool off.
Dr. Bashir Marzouk, astronomer at the Qatar Calendar House (QCH), told The Peninsula that the star of Suhail is projected to appear above Qatar's skies on 24 August.
The sight of the star of Suhail brought great joy to the people of the Gulf region, noted Dr. Marzouk, as it signaled moderation in weather and the beginning of the seasonal change, the end of the hot scorching winds, and the refraction of the intensity of the heat, as the water cools in the evening, and the night becomes long and the day becomes short.
The opportunity for rain is also present, as an old Gulf Arab anecdote would warn of the“cold nights and the floods” related to the star of Suhail, added Dr. Marzouk.
He remarked that the star of Suhail is 52 days long, fragmented into 4 periods each lasting 13 days in total, with the temperature drop becoming noticeable with the passing of each period.
The 'Suhail' star has four stages, starting with Al-Tarfa, then 'Al-Jabha', followed by 'Al-Zebra', and then "Al-Sarfa".
According to an earlier report from the Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD), during the first stage of "Al-Tarfa," the weather is hot and humid, but with the rise of "Al-Sarfa," the heat and humidity begin to decrease gradually.
In an interview with Alarabiya, the head of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, explained that one of“the signs coinciding with the appearance of the star of Suhail is the decline in the angle of incidence of the sun's rays,” and confirmed that the day does in fact begin to gradually shorten and“the end of the night cools.”