Malta’s stargazers may want to keep an eye on the sky tonight, as the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight between 21st and 22nd October.The annual shower, created by debris left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet, can produce up to 20 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, with particularly fast and bright meteors sometimes leaving glowing trails across the sky.And yes, the Orionids will be visible from Malta. Viewing data for Valletta shows the shower’s radiant rising at around 10:32pm tonight, remaining above the horizon throughout the night.There is a catch, however. A bright Moon is expected to make fainter meteors more difficult to spot, while cloudy conditions and possible thunderstorms early in the night could further reduce visibility.For anyone committed enough to set an alarm, the better opportunity could come after around 3:07am, when the Moon is expected to set. That leaves several hours of darkness before sunrise at around 7:14am, although ultimately the clouds will have the final say.No telescope or binoculars are necessary. The best approach is to find the darkest possible location, get away from street lighting and give your eyes around 20 minutes to adjust. Meteors can appear across the sky, so there’s no need to stare directly at Orion.In Malta, potential darker viewing spots include Dingli Cliffs, Miġra l-Ferħa, Fomm ir-Riħ and Aħrax tal-Mellieħa. Those in Gozo could also consider Dwejra, which is known for its comparatively dark skies. Anyone heading to remote coastal or cliffside areas at night should stick to safe, familiar ground and remain well away from cliff edges.And if tonight’s weather ruins the plan, all isn’t lost. Orionid meteors remain active beyond the peak, meaning there will still be opportunities to catch one over the coming nights.If you manage to catch any photos of the Orionids over Malta tonight, send them our way!•