As explained in the official website of Nasa, a meteor is a bright streak of light that appears briefly in the sky. A meteor is the visible streak of light that occurs when a meteoroid enters the Earth’s(or another bodies) atmosphere. The meteors are often mistaken as shooting stars. When a series of meteors occur consecutively within a brief span of time, it is known as a meteor shower.
I don’t want to get all Nasa about it so lets cut it short to remain simple. This scientific event in Italy is celebrated as “La Notte di San Lorenzo”.
The peak hours of the a meteor shower is during the month of August after midnight on the 12th and the 13th. Although it should still be a decent show from the 9th to the 15th if it remains a cloudless night
Special memories are treasured during such nights. Whether you may be in your 40’s or 80’s, the incident transforms us to children, looking at the sky as if for the first time. Every year we repeat the same incident over and over again. It is fascinating how we can never remain disappointed by mother nature.
The night of San Lorenzo has plenty of music to accompany and amuse us throughout the evening in the main squares of Florence. The most suitable point to wait for the meteor shower is in Piazza Michelangelo or even better in Fiesole, located 20 minutes above the city of Florence. Don’t forget your binoculars for a better view!
So the next time the meteor showers occur, don’t forget to stay awake till midnight and look up to the sky. Florence could be a perfect place to host such an event. The only hope is to keep your fingers crossed for a clear sky!