KUALA LUMPUR: When TikTok user Fadzil_Stargazer decided to livestream the passing of the Perseid meteor shower above Malaysian skies early today, he did not expect a large viewership.
Even at 4.33am, more than 900 people were watching the livestream as his device was pointed towards the starry night.
It was a quiet affair as the meteor shower was more elusive than most had thought.
According to Fadzil_Stargazer, the meteor shower was much more prominent earlier in the night when it was less cloudy.
Some comments made light of the annual celestial event.
"I fell asleep and my phone rolled away", said user Popozidla.
"Can you call the meteor shower to come down now?", said user ainnatt.
Others were genuinely curious about the topic, which Fadzil_Stargazer, who frequently posts about astronomy, was more than happy to talk about.
"Is that an aurora?", asked social media user efanxox.
"That bright star over there (on the right), what is that?", asked user 'Sarah'.
Some of their hopes to see the phenomenon were almost dashed, until, at the very last moment, one fiery streak passed the frame.
"Alhamdulillah. As I said, it is His will if we get to see it or not", Fadzil_Stargazer said as users commented in joy in the chat.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year due to debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.
Swift-Tuttle, which was last near Earth in 1992, sheds dust that burns in our atmosphere as it passes near the Sun.
While by no means rare, user Elle Myra put into words how even annual celestial events may still captivate us.
"Throughout my life, I have been able to see two meteor showers. They were too quick. I did not even have the chance to tell someone about it. All I could do was be awestruck", she said.