Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 9 [2]Mulitple streaks cover a night sky filled with stars. An observtory dome is visible in the foreground. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Meteor Shower: Perseids from Perseus Credit & Copyright: [3]Petr Horálek / [4]Institute of Physics in Opava Explanation: This is a good week to see meteors. Comet dust will rain down on planet Earth, streaking through dark skies during peak nights of the annual [5]Perseid Meteor Shower. The featured composite image was taken during the 2018 Perseids from the [6]Poloniny Dark Sky Park in [7]Slovakia. The dome of the observatory in the foreground is on the grounds of [8]Kolonica Observatory. Although the [9]comet dust particles travel parallel to each other, the [10]resulting shower meteors clearly seem to [11]radiate from a single point on the sky in the [12]eponymous constellation [13]Perseus. The radiant effect is due to [14]perspective, as the parallel tracks appear to converge at a distance, like [15]train tracks. The [16]Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to reach its [17]highest peak on Saturday after midnight. Since a [18]crescent Moon will rise only very late [19]that night, cloudless skies will be darker than usual, making a high number of faint meteors [20]potentially visible this year. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC, [41]NASA Science Activation & [42]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2308/Perseids18_Horalek_1494.jpg 3. https://www.petrhoralek.com/#about-1 4. https://www.slu.cz/phys/en/ 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poloniny_Dark-Sky_Park 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia 8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HpMVwLGwOI 9. https://www.universetoday.com/88094/the-perseids-why-is-there-a-meteor-shower/ 10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/perseids/in-depth/ 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower) 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eponym 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_(constellation) 14. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/64/fa/a3/64faa39143ee4aeff8cce3b7e452f4df--forced-perspective.jpg 15. http://en.es-static.us/upl/2010/12/railroad-tracks-converge-shutterstock-e1367591337388.jpg 16. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1584 17. https://www.omlet.us/images/originals/cat_on_high_perch.jpg 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230527.html 19. https://www.amsmeteors.org/2023/08/viewing-the-perseid-meteor-shower-in-2023/ 20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/ 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230808.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230809 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230810.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 42. http://www.mtu.edu/