A night for wishes - meteor shower peaks

The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, making it a night for wishes.

The Astronomical Society of Malta's public relations official, Saviour Grech, said the meteor shower was rather an exception to the normal showers as its origin was not associated with a normal comet but a dormant comet or asteroid - Phaethon, which is covered with a thick layer of dust.

Mr Grech said that broken fragments from its surface create the Geminids which are consistently increasing in intensity every time earth encounters the asteroid's orbit. Traced back across the sky, the meteors seem to originate in the constellation of Gemini, hence the name Geminids.

Mr Grech said that, weather permitting, during maximum activity as many as 75 meteors an hour can be seen under ideal conditions. They tend to be bright and yellow in colour.

This year a gibbous moon will interfere with the visibility of the fainter meteors.

The Astronomical Society of Malta invited the public to join its members to view the meteor shower from l-Ahrax tal Mellieha near the chapel from 9 p.m.

At present the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars can also be viewed through telescopes set up by society members.

www.maltastro.org