APOD: Perseid Meteors and the Milky Way (2012 Aug 14)

[APOD Robot]

Perseid Meteors and the Milky Way

Explanation: Where will the next Perseid meteor appear? Sky enthusiasts who trekked outside for the Perseid meteor shower that peaked over the past few days typically had this question on their mind. Six meteors from this past weekend are visible in the above stacked image composite, including one bright fireball streaking along the band of the background Milky Way Galaxy. All Perseid meteors appear to come from the shower radiant in the constellation of Perseus. Early reports about this year's Perseids indicate that as many as 100 meteors per hour were visible from some dark locations during the peak. The above digital mosaic was taken near Weikersheim, Germany.

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[ta152h0]

Nicely done....

[Boomer12k]

Well composed....do you notice that the bright central meteor points to a spot in the Milky Way....that looks like a SPIDER??? There is the head and pinchers, where the meteor is, and then a larger back bulbous part to the right, and lower we see legs....
I'm SCARRED!

Interesting shot...thanks.

:---[===] *

[Ann]

Well composed....do you notice that the bright central meteor points to a spot in the Milky Way....that looks like a SPIDER??? There is the head and pinchers, where the meteor is, and then a larger back bulbous part to the right, and lower we see legs....
I'm SCARRED!

:---[===] *

I agree! It looks like the spider is shooting laser beams from his eyes!

Ann

[Indigo_Sunrise]

Beautiful image!
(We were clouded out here - )


And Boomer, there are all sorts of ointments and salves to help with your condition.... You know, being "SCARRED".

[Boomer12k]

Well composed....do you notice that the bright central meteor points to a spot in the Milky Way....that looks like a SPIDER??? There is the head and pinchers, where the meteor is, and then a larger back bulbous part to the right, and lower we see legs....
I'm SCARRED!

:---[===] *

I agree! It looks like the spider is shooting laser beams from his eyes!

Ann

Gosh, Ann, how did I miss that??? Your right!!!


Indigo....yup, yer right too....meant one r....Scared....my bad... Early morning...


:---[===] *

[alsoran]

You can also see M31 (galaxy in Andromeda) in the photo.

[Anthony Barreiro]

Cygnus is being goosed by that bright fireball. Right up the tail feather. That looks painful!

Seriously, this is a beautiful image. I had a good time watching the Perseids Saturday night through Sunday morning with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers on Mount Tamalpais. We saw lots of meteors, including several bright fireballs that left persistent smoke trails through the atmosphere.

[neufer]

Cygnus is being goosed by that bright fireball. Right up the tail feather. That looks painful!

• Can one goose a swan?

<<Cygnus is one of the largest and easiest to find constellations in the night sky. It is also one of the few constellations that actually resembles its namesake. The constellation represents the youth Cygnus who was "a friend" to Phaethon, the son of Apollo. Phaethon attempted to drive Apollo's chariot (the Sun) across the sky one day. He lost control of the horses and was shot out of the sky by one of Zeus's thunderbolts before he could do anymore damage to the earth. Phaethon landed in a river, and Cygnus kept diving into the river like a swan in order to find his friend. Zeus was so impressed by Cygnus's loyalty and friendship that he turned the youth into a swan and placed his image into the night sky.>>

[Anthony Barreiro]

Cygnus is being goosed by that bright fireball. Right up the tail feather. That looks painful!

• Can one goose a swan?

Well, now that Vulpecula cum Anser has been abbreviated, Cygnus is the closest thing to a goose in the firmament.

And thanks for the story of Phaethon, Apollo's chariot and horses, Cygnus, and Zeus. I didn't know Cygnus has a mythological origin. I just figured some shepherds with too much time on their hands decided that those stars look like a flying swan. But of course they, or their more educated grandchildren, would futher elaborate the story. Nights were longer before the invention of the electric light.

[Seantos]

I caught one in the milky way!

Click to view full size image

[Anthony Barreiro]

I caught one in the milky way!

Click to view full size image

That's an awesome picture, Sean! What constellation is that in? Are those two open star clusters to the right of meteor? Which ones are they?

[Case]

What constellation is that in? Are those two open star clusters to the right of meteor? Which ones are they?

If I may play detective, I think it is the Aquila-Serpens region, and the clusters would be IC 4756 and NGC 6633. The three brightest stars are ζ Aql (top), δ Aql (left) and θα Ser (just right of the streak).

[Anthony Barreiro]

What constellation is that in? Are those two open star clusters to the right of meteor? Which ones are they?

If I may play detective, I think it is the Aquila-Serpens region, and the clusters would be IC 4756 and NGC 6633. The three brightest stars are ζ Aql (top), δ Aql (left) and θα Ser (just right of the streak).

Thanks Case. I can see it now.