Malta’s night sky is set to be especially bright today, with the annual Perseids Meteor Shower (id-dmugh ta’ San Lawrenz) on track to reach its peak.
This astronomical phenomenon is one of the best-known and brighter meteor showers of the year, serving as the perfect opportunity for space lovers far and wide to enjoy a night of star gazing.
The Perseids Meteor Shower runs from 17th July all the way to 24th August, however it only reaches its peak visibility in the night between 12th and 13th August.
During said period, star gazers may witness up to 100 meteors per hour. Crazy, right?
This meteor shower gets its name from the Perseus constellation – which in turn took its name from the Greek mythological hero of the same name – and is made up of the space debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Want to check the meteor shower out?
In that case, your best bet would be to find a dark spot around the islands, lay down flat on the floor, and keep any and all distractions at bay.
The darkest spots around Malta and Gozo include Kuncizzjoni (Mgarr), Fomm ir-Rih (Mgarr), Rdum il-Qammieh (Mellieha), Armier (Mellieha), San Lawrenz (Gozo), Zebbug (Gozo), and Nadur (Gozo).
Coincidentally, today’s night sky is also set to welcome the Sturgeon Supermoon – the fourth and last supermoon of the year.
This full moon is set to look larger than normal – hence its name – and will also have an orange hue. The Sturgeon Supermoon will rise at 8:41pm.
Whilst we’re very lucky to be able to witness two astronomical phenomena in a single night, astrophysicist Joseph Caruana told Times of Malta that the supermoon is expected to interfere with the meteor shower’s visibility.
As a result of this, star gazers will only be able to witness the shower’s brightest shooting stars.
Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography / Facebook