The star Suhail adorns the Jordanian sky. Is it linked to the approaching rainfall?

Arab Weather - According to Dr. Ammar Al-Sakaji   The Jordanian skies witnessed a unique astronomical event last Thursday and Friday morning, as members of the Jordanian Astronomical Society and a number of interested individuals were able to observe and photograph the star Suhail on the southeastern horizon. At dawn on Friday, September 12, 2025, at precisely 5:40 a.m., the star appeared at an altitude of approximately two degrees above the horizon in the eastern Jordanian desert in the Al-Kharana area. It was visible to the naked eye for a reasonable period of time, and was also captured by binoculars, telescopes, and cameras in a collective documentation of this phenomenon.

The rising of the star Canopus coincided with sunrise on August 28, 2025, for Jordan, as it was in its glare and could not be observed at that time. The first clear observations of it were recorded during the past few days. With the beginning of its appearance, Canopus will gradually become more visible over the coming days due to its early rising, making it possible to observe it from most regions of the Kingdom, especially from high locations with an open southern horizon, where it appears as a bright star in the south, whenever ideal conditions are available, such as clear skies, free of clouds and dust, and away from sources of light pollution. Canopus is a southern star and one of the most beautiful and brightest stars in the sky. It comes after the star of the Yemeni hair and is about 310 light-years away from Earth.

The appearance of the star Suhail represents a prominent landmark in Arab and Islamic heritage, as it has been associated since ancient times with meteorology, or what is known as the star calendar. Its appearance varies from one region to another depending on the geographical location. Its appearance was considered a traditional sign of the end of the summer heat and the approach of the autumn season. The ancient Arabs also relied on it in their agricultural and seasonal calendars to organize their daily affairs and determine the dates for planting, grazing, and transportation .

Astronomically, the appearance of the star Canopus in Jordan coincides with the approach of the autumnal equinox, an event when the hours of day and night are nearly equal due to the tilt of the Earth's axis as it orbits the sun.

Is the appearance of the Canopus star in the Jordanian sky related to rainfall?

Many people believe that the appearance of the Suhail star in the Arabian Peninsula's sky heralds the beginning of the rainy season. Meteorologists at the Arabia Weather Center say the appearance of this star is not directly linked to rainfall. The star is an astronomical phenomenon linked to the apparent movement of celestial bodies, while rainfall depends on complex atmospheric systems that include the location of air masses, atmospheric pressure, the movement of ocean currents, and global climate factors such as El Niño and La Niña. Therefore, the association of Suhail with rain is little more than a popular association passed down through generations. From a scientific perspective, however, rainfall is subject to purely dynamic and climatic equations.

God knows best.