You earthlings might have had some pretty spectacular views of the 2011 Perseid meteor shower, but astronomers in space got some magnificent views.
During its peak Friday, NASA astronaut Ron Garan captured these photographs of the Perseid and posted them on Twitter ... from space, while aboard the International Space Station, or ISS. In one of the photographs you can see a shooting star during the Perseid meteor shower.
Think that's cool? How about seeing lightning during the Perseid meteor shower? Garan captured that, too. And that's all below, plus more of what was seen here on Earth.
More About the Perseids
The Perseids are an annual meteor shower that have been observed for at least 2,000 years. They are associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years, according to NASA. Every August, the Earth passes through a cloud of the comet's debris and these bits of ice and dust — most more than 1,000 years old — burn up in the Earth's atmosphere to create one of the best meteor showers of the year.
The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing is from the Northern Hemisphere.
NASA said people with sharp eyes will see that the meteors radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus.
Halley's Comet is not scheduled to return for viewing until the year 2061.REUTERS/Jon NazcaIf you think Perseids are slowpokes, you’re wrong. These little specks travel at the speed of up to 133,200 mph (60 kilometers per second) - - relative to the planet. They come in the size of sand grains. But there are some as big as peas and Most are the size of sand grains; a few are as big as peas or marbles.An ibex is silhouetted during sunrise after the Perseid meteor shower in the night sky over El Torcal nature park reserve in the southern Spanish town of Antequera, near Malaga early August 13, 2011. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle.REUTERS/Jon NazcaSkywatcher and photographer Nick Rose snapped this stunning view of a Perseid meteor from Millbrae, Calif., on Aug. 10, 2011 as the annual Perseid meteor shower neared its peak.Nick Rose via Space.comThe specks before they hit the Earth’s atmosphere, called Perseid meteoroids are between 60 and 100 miles apart. This is also the estimated distance between Perseid meteoroids even at the densest part of the river of debris of comet Swift-Tuttle.The river of debris is described as likened as many streams deposited when the comet Swift-Tuttle pass on the 130-year orbit around the Sun.These specks travel through space and revolves around the Sun on the same path as the comet as they spread out over time.NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke posted this image of the International Space Station streaking above Huntsville, Ala., on Aug. 12, 2011 during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower of 2011.NASA via Bill Cooke (@MeteorScNASA astronaut Ron Garan posted a photo via Twitter from the window of the International Space Station (ISS) depicting lightning during the Perseids Meteor Shower.Ron Garan/NASANASA astronaut Ron Garan posted a photo via Twitter from the window of the International Space Station (ISS) depicting a shooting star from the 2011 Perseids Meteor Shower.Ron Garan/NASAThe 2010 Perseid meteor shower is lighting up the August skies. This image shows two composite views taken on the night of Aug. 11, 2010. The image on the left shows a collection of observations taken from 42 single station events over Huntsville, Ala. The image on the right shows a composite view from 39 single station events over Chickamauga, Ga.NASA/MSFC/D. Moser, NASA'
