by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 5: Malaysians are in for a spectacular night as two celestial events—the peak of the Southern Taurids meteor shower and the year’s biggest supermoon—are set to grace the sky simultaneously this evening.
According to the Malaysian Space Agency’s (MYSA) official Facebook page, the Southern Taurid meteor shower, active from Sept 23 to Nov 20, is expected to peak tonight and the early hours of Nov 6, with an estimated five meteors expected to be visible every hour, under ideal conditions.
The cosmic display will, however, share the sky with the full Beaver Supermoon, which will reach its brightest phase at 9.19pm.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth, known as perigee, approximately 356,832 kilometres away, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.
“The moon will pass through the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters) in the constellation Taurus. Some stars will appear to be momentarily lost behind the light of the Moon during this phenomenon, which is expected to last for about two to three hours,” MYSA said.
However, these phenomena will only be visible under ideal conditions. Astronomy enthusiasts are advised to find an open area away from city lights for the best view of the night sky’s double spectacle. – DayakDaily
