Al-Ajiri Al-Ilmi: Midsummer begins on July 16 with the entry of the second Gemini

The Al-Ajiri Science Center announced that the summer season of 2026 will reach its midpoint on Thursday, July 16, coinciding with the onset of the second phase of Al-Jawza (the Twins), which is the fourth stage of the summer mansions among Arabs and the fifth in the lunar-solar mansion calendar. Its culmination is known as “Al-Hana’a.”

The center clarified that the second phase of Al-Jawza lasts for 13 days and marks the beginning of a gradual decline in daylight hours, which had previously exceeded 13 hours and 50 minutes, while nighttime hours gradually increase.

It noted that this period is characterized by high solar temperatures and is interspersed with the “Bahoura of Summer” phenomenon, which lasts approximately eight nights and is typically accompanied by hot Samum winds. The center explained that the star of the second phase of Al-Jawza is one of the most prominent stars of Orion’s Shoulder, known to Arabs in ancient times.

In the same context, the center stated that July 16 will witness a conjunction of the Moon with the planet Saturn, with the Moon passing 50.3 degrees north of Saturn, and the Moon will be 21 days old that night. It added that July 17 will see a conjunction of the Moon with Venus, as the Moon passes 2.1 degrees south of the planet, with the Moon being 3 days old. The phenomenon will be visible in the evening sky over Kuwait at approximately 7:04 p.m.

The center further clarified that July will conclude with the full moon on July 29, during the mansion of “Sa’d al-Bal’,” globally known as the “Buck Moon.” This name was historically given by Indigenous tribes in North America, coinciding with the beginning of the growth of new antlers by bucks during this time of year.