AL QUAA DESERT — The Dubai Astronomy Group held a stargazing event in late May at Al Quaa Desert, where participants observed the Milky Way with the naked eye. Families speaking Arabic, English, and Russian gathered at the site, one of the darkest remaining locations in the United Arab Emirates, to view celestial objects unobscured by artificial lighting.

Al Quaa Desert lies approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Abu Dhabi, accessible via a highway to Al Ain and then a southern unpaved road. City lights do not reach the area, offering a rare vantage point in a country ranked among the world’s most light-polluted. A 2016 scientific study found that 99% of the UAE’s population cannot see the Milky Way from their homes due to light pollution.

During the event, Dubai Astronomy Group General Manager Sheeraz Awan used a laser pointer to highlight stars within the Milky Way. “When you look toward the east, can you see that faint cloud? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Milky Way,” Awan said. He added, “When we look at this Milky Way, we're kind of involved in an activity, which is not new. It's something that people throughout time have been engaged in.”

Attendees observed meteors streaking across the night sky. Some used telescopes to view individual stars, while others captured long-exposure photographs of the Milky Way using mobile phones. The Dubai Astronomy Group described late May as one of the best times of the year to view the Milky Way from Al Quaa Desert.

“It causes us to appreciate our existence in this galaxy,” Awan said while guiding participants. The group organizes regular nighttime excursions to the desert to provide opportunities for stargazing away from the bright urban environments of cities like Dubai, where LED displays on buildings and billboards, including the Burj Khalifa’s light show, contribute to skyglow.