Astronomy Picture Of The Day

NASA ^ | 8/11/02 | S. Kohle and B. Koch Bonn Univ.

[sleavelessinseattle]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 August 11

A Perseid Meteor
Credit & Copyright: S. Kohle & B. Koch, Bonn University

Explanation: The ongoing Perseid Meteor Shower should be at its strongest on August 12 and 13. The best time to watch will be between 2:00 AM and dawn on Monday morning (so plan on setting your alarm tonight!) and then again on Tuesday. In dark, moonless, predawn skies you may see dozens of meteors per hour. Grains of cosmic sand and gravel shed from Comet Swift-Tuttle will streak across the sky as they vaporize during entry into Earth's atmosphere. Tracing the meteor trails backwards, experienced skygazers will find they converge on the constellation Perseus, thus this annual meteor shower's name. Pictured above is a Perseid meteor from 1993. The colors are representative but digitally enhanced. As the meteor streaked across the night sky, different excited atoms emitted different colors of light. The origin of the green tinge visible at the right is currently unknown, however, and might result from oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.

Tomorrow's picture: Monday's child

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[sleavelessinseattle]

I've been waiting for the news of when the best night was for two weeks! Right ON APOD! JITA...Just in Time Astronomy! Please report dead links- new projectionist, tonight!

[sleavelessinseattle]

APOD PING!

[RightWhale]

Due to excessive twilight, the meteor shower viewing party in Fairbanks will be rescheduled for mid-November.

[herewego]

thanks

[sleavelessinseattle]

You're welcome to jet down from your canted northerly location to indulge in our less blown out skies...The north Cascade highway has been a great drive summer AND winter to go up and get out of the urban light pollution...One November the highway was blockaded for snow after I was up there stargazing and I had the entire highway to myself...I hope noone photographed my tiretracks as I performed a few bootlegger turns on the snow for practice...Didn't want all that unclaimed asphault to go to WASTE!

[RightWhale]

Once I went to Nova Scotia just to see the total eclipse of the sun. Is that so vain?

[sleavelessinseattle]

Driving on unplowed highway with no services for 60 miles in a snowstorm for a meteor shower...Dunno what you're talking about...LOL...Before I die...Will do the total!

[2Trievers]

Best viewed in a canoe, in the middle of wilderness lake. Yeeeeehah!!!!!!!!!! &;-)

[2Trievers]

Your scarf, was it apricot?

I'll bet you think this post is about you ... Hehe &;-)

[BossyRoofer]

There were quite a few early this morning out here in the arizona desert. They are quite spectacular!

[mikrofon]

Good job, Sleaverino!

'Hope to catch a few this coming a.m. if I can roust myself out early enough ...

[MeekOneGOP]

[sleavelessinseattle]

Stimpy! you EEEDIOT! YOU have the SPACE MADNESS!

[~EagleNebula~]

This is SWEET!

[sleavelessinseattle]

Hi E NEB...I assume you've done the Leonids in november...
I was out during the meteor storm and We were whoopin and hollerin like the Seahawks had made it to the playoffs! LOL!