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Credit & Copyright: Till Credner, AlltheSky.com
Explanation:
Bright
meteors and dark night skies made
this year's Perseid meteor shower a great time for a
weekend campout.
And while packing away their equipment, skygazers
at a campsite in the mountains of southern Germany
found at least one more reason to linger under the stars,
witnessing this brief but colorful flash with their own eyes.
Presented as a 50 frame gif,
the two second long video was captured
during the morning twilight of August 12.
In real time it shows the development of the
typical green train of a
bright Perseid meteor.
A much fainter Perseid is just visible farther to the right.
Plowing through
Earth's atmosphere at 60 kilometers per second,
Perseids are fast enough to excite the characteristic green
emission of atomic oxygen at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Perseids
Publications with words: Perseids
See also: