Encore - Fireball Over Corfu, Greece

June 03, 2017

EPOD_Encore
FireballcorfuIMG_2673_crop (2)

Today, and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.
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Photographer: Bill Metallinos 
Summary Author: Bill Metallinos; Jim Foster

February 2012 Earth Science Picture of the Day Viewer's Choice The photo above showing a startling fireball appearing to rip apart the night sky was seen during a star observation session at Mount Pantokrator on the Greek island of Corfu. I had set my camera up to get a picture of our small group and before long this brilliant meteor lit up the surrounding landscape. It was approximately -8 magnitude or about 25 times brighter than Venus at its brightest -- so bright that we were bathed in a sea of blue-green light. You can see the reflection on my 16 in (41 cm) telescope, on the table at right-center and on the side of my car. Click here to see a short animation. [Revised May 2017]

Photo Details: Canon EOS 40D camera; 15mm fisheye lens; f/2.8; ISO 800; 30-second exposure; Photoshop; Cropped.