These lectures aim to raise the public awareness of space sciences and astronomy and to attract enthusiasts, students, and professors in the field of astronomy and space sciences with the intent of delivering scientific information in a simplified, easily digestible manner as well as raising awareness of the importance of this field and the latest developments in the UAE Space Sector.
This series is following the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah, who founded the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology as a national development project and research center that seeks to serve and educate society in all areas of space science and to be a world leader in space sciences and technology research while establishing the United Arab Emirates as a scientific center in the Arab Gulf region and the world.
In the context of achieving these goals, Ms. Mariam Sharif, Research Assistant at SAASST's Meteorite Center, gave a virtual lecture titled "The UAE Meteor Monitoring Network." She discussed the differences between comets, asteroids, and meteoroids, the UAEMMN project monitoring towers, their structures, cameras, and locations in Sharjah, Al Yahar, and Liwa, the data collected using these towers and software used to analyze them, as well as using the project to identify all objects passing through the UAE sky. She also gave a brief about the Meteorite Center's research papers and publications.
The UAEMMN system is a unique meteor monitoring system in the MENA region. It aims to observe and detect meteors and fireballs in the UAE sky, analyze them, and approximate possible landing location. The project aims to take part in the UAE Space Situational Awareness (SSA) program and engage the public with meteor-related events, as well as strengthen all scientific and research initiatives by providing the knowledge infrastructure and technologies to support the goals and development of the UAE and SAASST in the space sector.