Shower of Perseid Meteors

October 04, 2013

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Photographer: Rafael Schmall; Rafael's Web site
Summary Author: Rafael Schmall; Jim Foster

The photo above is a 30-second exposure showing a shower of falling stars observed above the Zselic Starry Sky Park near Banya, Hungary on the night of August 13, 2013. Though they appear to be falling directly from the Milky Way, they're associated with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. The Perseids are perhaps the most reliable meteor showers, occurring each August when the Earth plows through particles of dust and debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. They're called the Perseids because when all of their tracks are mapped, they seem to emanate from the constellation of Perseus. The next meteor shower of interest to stargazers is the Orionids on October 21.

Photo details: Canon EOS60D camera; Tokina 116 lens; ISO 6400; Focus Distance: Infinite; Aperture: f/2.8; 30 second exposures -- stacked; burst mode; tripod-mounted.