Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> Perseid meteor shower

Perseid meteor shower

author: J.Lodriguss/Novapix

reference: a-efi02-00016

Image Size 300 DPI: 18 * 13 cm

Perseid meteor seem to radiate out of the same point in the constellation of Perseus in this composite exposure taken on August 12, 2008 during the Perseid Meteor Shower. The Perseids are tiny bits of dust left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle on one of its journey's through the Solar system. Although the comet is now far away, the dust left behind stays in orbit around the Sun, and sometimes the Earth passes through this dust trail, causing a meteor shower. The colors in the meteor's path come from different emissions as the meteor, speeding at 132,000 miles per hour, burns up and interacts with molecules in the upper atmosphere.

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - ASTRONOMY - FIREBALL - METEOR - NIGHT - PERSEID - SHOOTING STAR - STAR - STARRY SKY -