Photo: Joseph CaruanaA Maltese astrophysicist has repeated calls for the preservation of dark skies around the Maltese islands after a rare comet was photographed over Gozo.
The comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is currently visible in Malta’s western evening skies, with many keen stargazers heading out hoping to catch a glimpse of the spectacular celestial body.
The discovery of the comet by observers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa last year sparked excitement in the astronomical community.
As it came into sharper view last month, the comet was only visible from the southern hemisphere, but as of October 13 has become visible from the northern hemisphere.
But the comet’s future course is harder to predict, with some reporting that it may be 80,000 years before this particular comet comes back into view, if at all.
According to the models of The Paris Observatory's Institute of Celestial Mechanics, it could be "ejected from the solar system and lost among the stars".
It all depends on the encounters the comet makes on its journey through the Oort cloud - a frigid belt of tiny objects theorised to exist at the far end of the Solar System up to 3.2 light-years away - in a few thousand years' time.
The images captured by astrophysicist Professor Joseph Caruana show the comet as it appeared in Dwejra, Gozo.
Caruana said that on Saturday the comet was still close to the sun and not easy to spot with the naked eye, but it is expected to rise higher in the coming days, which should make it easier to observe if the weather permits.
Caruana said such rare and fascinating events are more motivation than ever to preserve dark skies so that they can be easily enjoyed by all.
“The Maltese Islands are heavily light polluted. It is an especially sad situation because the remedies are actually quite simple: avoid over-illumination, use properly designed lighting, and dim and switch off unnecessary lighting,” Caruana said.
Dwejra is still the best remaining site to observe such events, he continued.
“One can still observe the Milky Way in its splendour, and it’s a particularly important site for shearwaters, which make it their home,” he said.
Photo: Joseph Caruana“The reason is that it’s relatively disconnected from the rest of the island, and there is no provision of electricity.
"On paper, it is protected by the Gozo and Comino Local Plan, since it’s designated as a Dark Sky Heritage Area. This dictates that there should be no lighting whatsoever at this site. And that is indeed a must for this place. However, proper enforcement is direly needed.”
Caruana added that the Dwejra site deserves the utmost protection and a commitment to preserve its dark skies.
“If this were coupled with a proper lighting plan for Gozo, we could conserve Dwejra’s skies for generations to come — scientists and the general public alike.
"There’s hardly a person who doesn’t know that if you want to appreciate the stunning beauty of our universe from our Islands then Dwejra is the place to be. If only the uniqueness of this site was matched by a resolute commitment to preserve it. We have a gem that deserves our absolute best to conserve.”