APOD: Meteors, Planes, and a Galaxy over... (2018 May 06)

[APOD Robot]

Meteors, Planes, and a Galaxy over Bryce Canyon

Explanation: Sometimes land and sky are both busy and beautiful. The landscape pictured in the foreground encompasses Bryce Canyon in Utah, USA, famous for its many interesting rock structures eroded over millions of years. The featured skyscape, photogenic in its own right, encompasses the arching central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy, the short streaks of three passing planes near the horizon, at least four long streaks that are likely Eta Aquariid meteors, and many stars including the three bright stars that make up the Summer Triangle. The featured image is a digital panorama created from 12 smaller images during this date in 2014. Recurring every year, yesterday and tonight mark the peak of this year's Eta Aquriids meteor shower, where a patient observer with dark skies and dark-adapted eyes might expect to see a meteor every few minutes.

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[Boomer12k]

Nice picture... I have written a song...
"Meteor, Meteor, do you roam?..."
"I've come to Earth, to find a Hoomme..."....er...um...well....OK...still working on it... going to be a big hit...you can tell.... I was a third year music major!!!!

We are back into wet spring weather...typical of Oregon. Still in the mid 30's F some nights...
:---[===] *

[orin stepanek]

I like today's picture; but I believe it to be a repeat! I think that's the norm for a Sunday, which is OK!

[Chris Peterson]

Nice picture... I have written a song...
"Meteor, Meteor, do you roam?..."
"I've come to Earth, to find a Hoomme..."....er...um...well....OK...still working on it... going to be a big hit...you can tell.... I was a third year music major!!!!

It might not scan as well, but it was a meteoroid during its roaming.

[skildude]

Did anyone notice that the upper left corner has the same Picture clipped side by side. I see star patterns repeated there. Unless this is the matrix I'm willing to be someone didn't get the whole sky that night.

[Ann]

Where are the planes?

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

The featured skyscape, photogenic in its own right, encompasses the arching central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy, the short streaks of three passing planes near the horizon, at least four long streaks that are likely Eta Aquariid meteors, and many stars including the three bright stars that make up the Summer Triangle.

I agree that the three short streaks near the horizon are airplanes. However, I think there is just one meteor in this image, between the Milky Way and the horizon about a third of the way from the left edge. The three longer streaks are almost certainly satellites, given their uniform intensity and sharp endpoints. And since the radiant of the Eta Aquariids is just a bit above the horizon almost directly below the top of the Milky Way arch, the one definite meteor isn't a member of that shower.

So- three planes, three satellites, one meteor.

[Indigo_Sunrise]

Where are the planes?

Ann

Hi Ann, they are very tiny, short straight lines, and very near the horizon. I had to look at the enlarged image to find them, and even then it took a few minutes.

I agree that the three short streaks near the horizon are airplanes. However, I think there is just one meteor in this image, between the Milky Way and the horizon about a third of the way from the left edge. The three longer streaks are almost certainly satellites, given their uniform intensity and sharp endpoints. And since the radiant of the Eta Aquariids is just a bit above the horizon almost directly below the top of the Milky Way arch, the one definite meteor isn't a member of that shower.

So- three planes, three satellites, one meteor.

Thank you for this clarification, Chris. I wondered why the 'meteor streaks' didn't seem to be coming from one origin point.

[daddyo]

Check out the perfect "H" of stars at the top of the Milky Way arch. You have to get the full resolution image to see it. Maybe it's the photographer's watermark?

[Chris Peterson]

Check out the perfect "H" of stars at the top of the Milky Way arch. You have to get the full resolution image to see it.

It's a stitching error. (There are a few.)

[Ann]

Thanks for your answers, Indigo_Sunrise and Chris.

Ann

[Leo S]

I agree with Chris. Just a single meteor in this image, and the rest of the trails were made by satellites + aircraft.