Astronaut Snaps Meteor From Space

Posted On: August 19, 2011 09:42 am

In an unusual picture taken Saturday from aboard the International Space Station, a meteor streaks toward Earth below. Astronaut Ronald Garan, Jr., was among the sky-watchers who snapped a "shooting star" during the peak of this year's Perseid meteor shower.
Peaking late Friday through early Saturday, this year's cosmic fireworks were somewhat dampened by the glare of a full moon. But the height of the Perseids still offered a crowd-pleasing sight for many people worldwide.
"The Perseids are almost always a really good show, with usually on average about 50 to 60 meteors an hour during the peak," Jim Todd, staff astronomer and planetarium manager at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, told National Geographic News last week.
Todd predicted that this year—despite the moon—stargazers would see around 10 to 20 meteors an hour during the peak. He also suggested going out on any clear night immediately before or after peak, when up to a couple dozen shooting stars an hour may be visible. The shower is officially expected to end on August 24.

 

Source: National Geographic