Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Night of the Long Leonid
NASA ^ | November 22, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 11/23/2012 12:40:23 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: A cosmic grain of sand left the long and colorful trail across this all-sky view. Its grazing impact with planet Earth's atmosphere began at 71 kilometers per second. With the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon, the scene was captured on the night of November 17 from the astronomically popular high plateau at Champ du Feu in Alsace, France. Of course, the earthgrazer meteor belongs to this month's Leonid meteor shower, produced as our fair planet annually sweeps through dust from the tail of periodic Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The shower's radiant point in the constellation Leo is very close to the eastern horizon, near the start of the trail at the lower left. Bright planet Jupiter is also easy to spot, immersed in a faint band of Zodiacal light just below and right of center. The image is part of a dramatic time-lapse video (vimeo here) that began only 7 minutes before the long leonid crossed the sky.

November 22, 2012

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; gegenschein; leonids; science
[Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Vetter (Nuits sacrees)]

1 posted on 11/23/2012 12:40:36 AM PST by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

2 posted on 11/23/2012 12:41:58 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

It’s the triffids all over again!

DO I have to save the world from space plants again?

Probably not, this time we’ll just send the potheads after them!


3 posted on 11/23/2012 12:42:18 AM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

I saw a wicked good one while driving over the mountain tonight.

That sucker really flamed out gloriously at the end.

[and yeah, I made a wish]


4 posted on 11/23/2012 2:01:30 AM PST by Salamander (If animals could speak, mankind would weep. Anthony Douglas Williams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Salamander

lol.

I think most of us would

I thnk I saw one good one like that once.. ONCE.. when I was a kid... it seemed to be coming right at me. lol


5 posted on 11/23/2012 2:03:52 AM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

We were coming back from WV one night, in heavy traffic and I just happened to look to the west as the most amazing one I’ve *ever* seen flamed across the skyline.

It was huge, bursting like fireworks, constantly changing size and color.

Magnificent...yet no one else seemed to see it.

Not a single tail light flashed and no cars slowed down to watch it.

Then I started thinking about the movie “Phenomenon” and got a bit concerned.

;D


6 posted on 11/23/2012 2:13:07 AM PST by Salamander (If animals could speak, mankind would weep. Anthony Douglas Williams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

Coming right at you, you say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3woaPZowmM

[have you become obsessed about the rabbit in your garden, by any chance?]


7 posted on 11/23/2012 2:16:55 AM PST by Salamander (If animals could speak, mankind would weep. Anthony Douglas Williams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Could be just a nasty scratch on the lens...


8 posted on 11/23/2012 6:52:40 AM PST by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

I like the sky glow around the circumference!


9 posted on 11/23/2012 7:06:06 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the Darkroom that Develops Negatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

That video is awesome. A good gegenschein even. I’ve done videos like this with friends, where we’ll take 60 second wide-field exposures, 60 times per hour, and turn it into a video. I sure could use a nice 180 degree fisheye lens like the one used here.


10 posted on 11/23/2012 7:51:54 AM PST by RingerSIX (My wife and I took an AIDS vaccine that they offer down at our Church.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salamander

I had heard on TV there would be a meteor shower, but we live in a metroplex and we can’t see more than 10 stars at night, so I thought the chance of seeing a meteor was ultra low.

That one was so bright, I don’t see how people missed it but nobody who was around saw it but me. Yes, that was kind of creepy too.

...

When I was a kid we used to gather around the TV on Saturday nights and watch wrestling. One time I fell asleep and dreamed the wooden owls on the wall came to life and attacked us. I woke up and there was a scorpion a few inches from my face.

It was small and probably harmless, but it freaked me out a little.


11 posted on 11/23/2012 12:38:47 PM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson