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Credit & Copyright: Tamas Ladanyi
(TWAN)
Explanation:
Just after moonrise on August 12 this grain of cosmic sand
fell by the sea, its momentary flash part of the annual
Perseid Meteor Shower.
To create the Perseid meteors,
dust along the orbit of
periodic comet Swift-Tuttle is swept up by planet Earth.
The cometary
debris plows through the atmosphere at nearly 60 kilometers
per second and is quickly vaporized at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so.
Perseid meteors are
often bright and colorful, like the one captured
in this sea and night skyscape.
Against
starry sky and faint Milky Way the serene view
looks south and west across the Adriatic Sea, from the moonlit
Dalmatian coast
toward the island of Brac.
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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: Perseids
Publications with words: Perseids
See also: