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Astronomy Picture for Today (meteor shower peak this weekend)
nasa ^ | 08/11/2006 | dg

Posted on 08/11/2006 12:57:30 PM PDT by HOTTIEBOY

Every year at this time the Earth passes thruogh the dust tail left by commet Swift-Tuttle. The reasult is the anual Perseid meteor shower.


Credit & Copyright: Fred Bruenjes

Most of the particles are no bigger than a grain of sand.They enter the atmosphere at altitudes above 70 miles or so, and light up the sky as they streak through the atmosphere at over 140,000 miles per hour instantly vaprizing and ionizing the atoms along its path.



Viewers in dark location can expect to see 60 or more "falling stars" this weekend. The Pereid shower got its name because the shower seems to come from the constilation Perseus.


Credit & Copyright: Jimmy Westlake (Colorado Mountain College)

Dark skies are favored for viewing meteor showers -- so many are pessimistic about this year's Perseids. While the Perseid meteor shower is scheduled to peak this weekend, bright light from an almost full Moon will also flood the night and mask the majority of relatively faint meteors. Still, skygazing in the evening before the Moon rises (before about 10 PM local time) could reveal spectacular earthgrazing meteors. Persisting even later into the moonlit night can reward northern hemisphere watchers looking for occasional Perseid fireballs. In fact, astronomer Jimmy Westlake imaged this bright Perseid meteor despite the combination of moonlight and auroral glow over Colorado skies in August of 2000.



TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; space; spellcheck
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To: HOTTIEBOY
Brilliant pics,,I'm off into the Essex countryside with my camera and tripod.

'In the fading light the tripods could be seen striding across the Essex marshes with impunity' .War of the Worlds by H G Wells.
21 posted on 08/12/2006 10:18:57 AM PDT by Brit1 ('Suppers Ready.' (23 mins and 32 seconds of Heaven))
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To: HOTTIEBOY

awsome pics. We probably won't see them here in the city. Makes me occasionally long for country life...


22 posted on 08/20/2006 9:10:48 AM PDT by DarkMaterials (Godless)
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To: HOTTIEBOY

I like the last one


23 posted on 08/21/2006 3:44:49 PM PDT by G8 Diplomat
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To: G8 Diplomat

We just went out to watch for about 20 minutes...saw several really good ones. It's chilly here, so we came back in to warm up a little, then we're going back out to see. We're having a wonderful, cold, clear night here in Virginia. We live out in the country, away from the city lights. The Milky Way is really bright tonight, too. Spectacular!


24 posted on 10/21/2006 8:38:06 PM PDT by gregwest
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To: HOTTIEBOY
Get out the pillows, blankets, adult beverages, and bug spray.

Looks like we are going to have excellent viewing tonight in South Jersey.

25 posted on 08/11/2007 5:15:34 PM PDT by mware (By all that you hold dear..on this good earth... I bid you stand! Men of the West!)
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To: mware

LOL, a year late but it still applies.


26 posted on 08/11/2007 5:16:30 PM PDT by mware (By all that you hold dear..on this good earth... I bid you stand! Men of the West!)
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