Wishing upon a star will be much easier tomorrow night as the sky will play host to the annual Perseid meteor shower, known as the Tears of St Lawrence.

The Perseid shower is expected to reach its peak late at night and early Friday morning. The rate of activity should pick up after midnight until the first light of dawn.

The Astronomical Society of Malta is holding a special activity at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa starting at 9.30 p.m. tomorrow

An observer under a dark sky might typically see more than 60 Perseids per hour between midnight and dawn. The moon will be a crescent and provide minimal interference, making this an opportune year to watch them.

In addition to viewing the meteors, society members will be explaining the night sky to those present, as well as provide telescopes.

The Perseid meteoroids are tiny, sand-to pea-size bits of rocky debris that were shed long ago by Comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet, like others, is slowly disintegrating as it orbits the sun.

Over the centuries, its crumbly remains have spread all along its 130-year orbit to form a sparse “river of rubble” hundreds of millions of kilometres long.

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