Canopus Star to indicate decrease in mercury levels

The star Canopus, known as Suhail will not be visible in the skies of the UAE and central Arabian Peninsula before August 24, 2025, but can be observed in the southernmost regions near Umm Al Zumoul on the edges of Al Rub' al Khali desert starting from August 22, 2025, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Federation for Space and Astronomy Sciences.

Al Jarwan explained to Al Khaleej newspaper that Canopus will first appear in the early morning above the southeastern horizon, less than an hour before sunrise. Its visibility will gradually extend into the night, eventually disappearing by early May 2025. He noted that the rising of Canopus signifies a break in the intense heat and the beginning of a gradual temperature decline, typically occurring between August 15 and 20.

Historically, Gulf sailors believed that on August 11, the trade seasonal winds in the Arabian Sea and northern Indian Ocean start to subside, Al Jarwan indicated.