Posted on 08/13/2015 2:26:45 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Have you watched the Perseid meteor shower? Though the annual shower's predicted peak was last night, meteor activity should continue tonight (August 13/14), best enjoyed by just looking up in clear, dark skies after midnight. Of course, this year's Perseid shower has the advantage of being active near the August 14 New Moon. Since the nearly New Moon doesn't rise before the morning twilight many fainter meteors are easier to spot until then, with no interference from bright moonlight. The Perseid meteor shower last occurred near a New Moon in 2013. That's when the exposures used to construct this image were made, under dark, moonless skies from Hvar Island off the coast of Croatia. The widefield composite includes 67 meteors streaming from the heroic constellation Perseus, the shower's radiant, captured during 2013 August 8-14 against a background of faint zodiacal light and the Milky Way. The next moonless Perseid meteor shower will be in August 2018.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit and Copyright: Petr Horálek]
http://129.164.179.22/apod/image/1508/viz_2013_08_08-14_Perseidy_1500.jpg
http://129.164.179.22/apod/image/1508/viz_2013_08_08-14_Perseidy_1024a.jpg
I stayed up a little later than usual last night to see what I could see. Here in rural WV, we have pretty dark nights, although there were some clouds.
From around 10pm to around 11pm I saw probably a dozen meteors, but three of them were spectacular with long tails. The little guys really move. Wish it wouldn’t have been a work night - would have loved to stay up until 1am and see the peak. It was a beautiful temperate night for stargazing.
I was out last night, but not for long. Didn’t see anything. Wasn’t too too cloudy ... I could see one star directly overhead.
yeah I saw it. Up at 4am towards the zenith.
Cassiopeia, Perseus...
The sky cleared very nicely at that moment. It looked like the milkyway was leaking stardust.
Some of them left golden glowing trails like fireworks.
Natures quiet fireworks...
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