Our annual appointment with the Perseid meteor shower has arrived again. The thin crescent Moon sets early on the evening of August 12, leaving dark skies (except for light pollution!) for this year's Perseid meteor shower. The display should peak later that night for us in Malta, especially as morning twilight begins. Reducing light pollution means saving energy and money, and is taking on an important role overseas. Malta, however, is seriously lagging behind...

Perseid meteors come from comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 130 years, the comet swoops in from deep space (beyond Pluto) towards the sun, leaving behind a trail of dust and small particles. Perseid dust particles are tiny, most no bigger than grains of sand. Yet they travel very fast - about 215,000 km/h! Even a tiny dust speck can become a brilliant meteor when it hits the atmosphere at that speed.

There is no danger to us, though. The fragile grains disintegrate long before they reach the ground. Sky watchers can expect to see 60 or more Perseids per hour, provided the sky is very clear and dark. The public is invited to join in our observations from 9.30 p.m. onwards on Monday, August 12, at L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha (near the chapel).

Monthly almanac

Tomorrow: Saturn near the Moon
Thursday: New Moon
August 10: The Sun enters Leo today, contrary to false astrological belief
August 12: Meteor shower observation, 9.30 p.m., l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha
August 15: First quarter Moon
August 22: Full Moon

August activities

The Perseids shooting star display, on a warm summer night, is the perfect introduction to the fascinating hobby of astronomy! No telescopes are needed. Just join the society and look at the sky at night on August 12. Visit our website at www.maltastro.org for latest information on all its activities. Comments and/or questions are welcome by e-mail.