QNA
Doha
Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has announced that the Suhail star will rise in the sky over Qatar on Saturday, August 24, marking the start of the Suhail season in Qatar and most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
According to Dr Bashir Marzouq, an astronomy expert at QCH, residents in Qatar will be able to spot the Suhail star with the naked eye towards the southern horizon during the first week of September. It can be recognised by locating the brightest star in the night sky, the Sirius star.
Dr Marzouq explained that the rising of the Suhail star on August 24 each year signifies the beginning of the Suhail season and the Suhail year, which lasts 365 or 366 days. This period includes several key seasons, such as Al-Murabba’iyah, Al-Wasmi, Al-Safri, and Al-Kanna.
The Suhail star, known as the second brightest star visible in the night sky after Sirius, is part of the constellation Vela (the ship’s base). It is approximately 300 light years away from Earth.
