Despite a bright full moon, sky-watchers around the world didn't get disappointed as they caught striking views of the Perseid meteor shower overnight Friday (Aug. 12).
The Perseid meteor shower is considered as the most stunning meteor shower of the year. But this year's "shooting star" display peak was threatened to get outshined by the August full moon. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and sky-watchers had their time, despite the moon's interference.
According to NASA, sky-watchers have been observing the Perseid meteor shower for at least 2,000 years. While orbiting around the sun, Earth passes through various streams of interplanetary remains called meteoroids. In most cases, these meteoroids are originated from comets.
Whenever a comet gets closer to the sun, it gets warmed and emits gas and dust. The gas forms a tail with the dust left behind. When Earth passes through these particles, the dust enters the Earth's atmosphere at high speed, emitting bright streak as a result of being heated. These rapid bright streaks are called meteors. The Perseid is derived from meteor showers' origin point in the night sky - the constellation Perseus.
NASA provided an online live camera view where meteors lined across the frame of an all-sky camera at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Check out some of the spectacular photos of the Perseid meteor shower occurred this week.
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A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over the village of Kuklici, known for its hundreds of naturally formed stones which resembles human beings, near Kratovo, 80 km (49 miles) east from capital Skopje, 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. Picture taken using a long exposure.REUTERS/Ognen TeofilovskiA meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over the village of Kuklici, known for its hundreds of naturally formed stones which resemble human beings, near Kratovo, 80 km (49 miles) east from the capital Skopje, 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. Picture taken using a long exposure.REUTERS/Ognen TeofilovskiPerseids are debris created from comet Swift-Tuttle, the largest object to have repeatedly passed the earth. The size of comet Swift-Tuttle is estimated at 6 miles of 9.7 kilometers across.A man with binoculars observes the moon during 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. Picture taken using a long exposure.REUTERS/Jon NazcaHalley'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 NazcaAn astronomer, Brian Marsden predicted that Swift-Tuttle would hit Earth in one of its future passes. Though there were studies and observations debunking Marsden’s predictions, the near-miss coming has not died down and the astronomer has reiterated that a “cosmic near-miss collision” should be expected in 3044.Skywatcher Carolyne Jackson of Woking, Surrey in England snapped this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor from her backyard during the peak of the 2011 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12, 2011.Space.com via Carolyne JacksonThe 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 (@MeteorSc
