This is a picture of the Perseids meteor shower seen from Oakland, Ontario, Canada on August 11. It is named that way because the meteors seem to be coming from the direction of Perseus, a constellation named after a Greek hero. It is caused by the trial of dust left from the Comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet, as it orbits the sun and when Earth passes through the debris, the meteors happen to occur right in front of Perseus. I found this fascinating mostly because of how the meteor showers coincidentally happen to look like it is coming from Perseus. It also captured my attention just because it looked so beautiful and peaceful. I wonder if this amazing meteor shower will happen every single year and what would be the best places to observe the Perseids meteor shower from since I would love to see it with my own eyes.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130813.html
I really enjoy the elements captured in this photo. I agree that it looks beautiful and peaceful. I think your post is very interesting, and I enjoyed reading your explanation of this photo. Now, I, too, am wondering where a meteor shower like this can be best observed.
ReplyDeleteI think that this picture is very interesting and that you have summarized it very well. It does look very calm and peaceful. I wish that meteor showers would happen often and close to New York so I could see one as well.
ReplyDeleteI was drawn in by this picture because I found it interesting how it seemed as if the meteors were all coming from a center point. After reading your explanation, I realized that this was coincidental. I would also like to see a meteor shower like this because I like how the meteors move away from Perseus and it would be very fascinating.
ReplyDeleteYou CAN see the Perseids meteor shower and it happens every year in mid-August! This year it was around August 10 to 13. You probably missed it however because the best time to see it is between midnight and dawn. Most of us are sleeping then and not looking up at the night sky. If you want to catch a meteor shower, the next one will be the Draconids meteor shower around Oct 7 and 8. It is not as spectacular ast the Perseids, but could still be your opportunity to see a meteor shower if you have never seen one. Keep your eyes peeled on those nights!
ReplyDeletehttp://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide