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Credit & Copyright: Juan Carlos Casado
(TWAN)
Explanation:
What are those streaks in the sky?
They're meteors from the
Draconids
meteor shower that peaked earlier this month.
The above composite image captured numerous meteor streaks over 90 minutes above
the Celtic ruins of Capote in
Badajoz province,
Spain.
The particles that caused these meteors were typically the size of a pebble and were
expelled long ago from the nucleus of
comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner.
Most of the above meteors can be traced back to a single
radiant emanating from the
constellation of the Dragon
(Draco).
Reports from this year meteor shower indicate that the Draconids were
unusually
good this year with
activity
was concentrated around 8 pm
UT on October 8.
The most intense
Draconid meteor showers in recent history occurred in 1933 and 1946 when thousands
of meteors per hour were
recorded
as the Earth plowed through particularly dense streams of comet debris.
Although the Draconids occur
every October, it is usually difficult to know just how active each year's meteor
shower will be.
APOD Challenge:
How many meteors can you find on the above image?
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: meteors - meteor shower - Draco
Publications with words: meteors - meteor shower - Draco
See also: