Amman: Astronomy and heritage enthusiasts in Jordan are awaiting the appearance of Canopus, known in Arabic as Suhail, one of the best-known stars in Arab tradition and historically associated with the waning of peak summer and the approach of autumn.
According to Jordan News Agency, Jordanian Astronomical Society President Ammar Sakaji stated that astronomical calculations indicate Canopus will rise at approximately the same time as the sun in Jordan on August 28, making it impossible to observe because of twilight glare. Viewing prospects will gradually improve as the star begins rising earlier before dawn.
He explained that sensitive cameras and telescopes may be able to detect the star during the first week of September, while naked-eye visibility is expected to improve between approximately September 10 and 15, depending on sky clarity, horizon conditions, and the observer's location.
Sakaji noted that Canopus appears very low above Jordan's southern horizon, reaching an altitude of no more than about five degrees. Observation therefore requires an unobstructed location away from buildings, mountains, and light pollution, while the star becomes visible earlier at locations farther south.
He pointed out that Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky after Sirius, has long been associated in Arab heritage with seasonal changes, travel, and agriculture.
Sakaji stressed, however, that the star's appearance does not cause temperatures to fall and is not a direct scientific indicator for weather forecasting, which relies on data from meteorological stations, radar, satellites, and numerical models.