August 15, 2005
The same forces that sculpt nebulae and spin galaxies into existence were at work the day you were born.
Perseid Meteors and the Milky Way
Birthday · August 15, 2005
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APOD published August 15, 2005. Credit: Stefan Seip. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
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. The above movie, where the time-line has been digitally altered, captures part of that very mystery. Eight meteors from the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13 have been identified in the movie so far, seven of which are Perseids. Can you identify the non-Perseid meteor? Since all Perseid meteors appear to come from the constellation of Perseus, the non-Perseid meteor is the one that streaks in a different direction. Early reports are that this year's Perseids were unfortunately a bit disappointing. The above digital mosaic was taken from Alsace, France, with the photogenic band of our Milky Way Galaxy far in the background.
Image credit: Stefan Seip