Italy · Shooting stars
On the night into Thursday 22 October is one of the year's good nights for shooting stars. the Orionids peak, and under a truly dark sky you can see up to 20 meteors an hour – fewer in practice, but still enough to make it worth going out.
The Moon and the darkness
The Moon is 80 % lit and brightens the sky a lot. Only the brightest meteors will be visible – but the biggest fireballs outshine even a full moon.
It is dark enough from about 19:20 until 06:29.
Most shooting stars are usually seen after midnight, when our side of Earth turns into the stream.
Where should you look?
The shooting stars seem to come from a point towards the south, but they can appear anywhere in the sky. Look a little to the side of that point – that is where you see the longest trails.
Lie down on a mat or a garden lounger so you can see most of the sky. No binoculars needed – your eyes are the best instrument for shooting stars.
Good dark places include Dolomites, Gran Sasso and Monti Sibillini.
The next major meteor shower is the Leonids, peaking Wednesday 18 November.