Explanation:
Did you see it?
One of the more common questions during a meteor shower occurs because the time it takes for a meteor to flash is typically less than the time it takes for a head to turn.
Possibly, though, the glory of seeing
bright meteors shoot across and
knowing that
they were once small pebbles on another world might make it all worthwhile, even if your
observing partner(s) could not share in every particular experience.
Peaking over the past few days, a dark moonless sky allowed the
Lyrids meteor shower
to exhibit as many as 30 visible meteors per hour from some locations.
A bright Lyrid meteor streaks above picturesque
Crater Lake in
Oregon,
USA, in the
above composite of nine exposures taken last week.
Snow covers the
foreground,
while the majestic central band of our home galaxy arches well behind the serene lake.
Other meteor showers this year include the
Perseids in mid-August and the Leonids in mid-November, both expected to also dodge the
glare of a bright Moon in 2012.
Gallery:
Lyrid meteors 2012
