MUSCAT: According to the society, observation conditions will vary between August 1 and 15, with moonlight significantly affecting visibility during the first week of the month. The brightest moon phases, including the waning gibbous and third-quarter moon, are expected to reduce viewing quality on most nights through August 7.

The society said observation conditions will improve markedly from August 8 to 15, when weaker moonlight or its absence will provide very favourable conditions for viewing the galactic arm. During this period, the recommended observation window extends from 8 pm until around 2 am, depending on the date.

The galactic arm is expected to set progressively earlier each day, from 2:47 am on August 1 to 1:52 am on August 15. The society noted that the Milky Way’s galactic arm rises before sunset throughout the observation period.