- The summer season of 2026 will reach its halfway point on Thursday, July 16, coinciding with the arrival of the Second Gemini period and daylight sees gradual decline, according to the Al-Ujairi Scientific Center.
Despite the shortening daylight, the period remains one of the hottest phases of summer, with temperatures continuing to rise.
The summer season of 2026 will reach its halfway point on Thursday, July 16, coinciding with the arrival of the Second Gemini period, according to the Al-Ujairi Scientific Center.
The center explained that the period marks the fourth stage of the traditional Arab summer seasons and the fifth stage in the astronomical calendar of the Sun and Moon’s celestial positions. Its appearance is associated with the rising of the star known traditionally as “Al-Hana’a.”
The Second Gemini period lasts for 13 days and signals the beginning of a gradual decline in daylight hours after they surpassed 13 hours and 50 minutes, while nighttime hours gradually increase.
Despite the shortening daylight, the period remains one of the hottest phases of summer, with temperatures continuing to rise.
The center noted that it includes the well-known “summer heat” period, which typically lasts around eight nights and is often accompanied by hot, dry winds.
Al-Ujairi Center added that the Second Gemini star is among the prominent stars of Betelgeuse, a celestial body known to Arabs since ancient times as part of their traditional astronomical observations.
Rare celestial events in July sky
The center also highlighted several astronomical events taking place during July. On July 16, the Moon will appear in conjunction with Saturn, passing approximately 50.3 degrees north of the planet, with the Moon reaching an age of 21 days.
On July 17, sky watchers in Kuwait will have the opportunity to observe the Moon’s conjunction with Venus, as the Moon passes 2.1 degrees south of the planet. The event will be visible in the evening sky from around 7:04 pm, with the Moon only three days old.
The month will conclude with the full moon on July 29, occurring in the lunar mansion of “Saad Bulaa”, known internationally as the “Deer Moon.” The name comes from Indigenous North American traditions, marking the period when new deer antlers begin to grow.
