Explanation:
To
paraphrase Magritte, "This is not a meteor".
It's not a picture of a meteor either, but it was
taken during last weekend's peak of the
Perseid Meteor
shower.
Skywatching with friends at a cosy beach campsite
bathed in moonlight at
Treguennec,
France, astronomer and
APOD translator
Laurent Laveder planned to record bright Perseid
meteors with camera and tripod.
While the Perseid meteors he saw were neither numerous nor
bright he did capture the brilliant trail of an
Iridium communication satellite.
His long exposure
began after the satellite glint became
visible, so the resulting streak does resemble a meteor
trail in the final image.
Also recognizable in the serene view of
sandy
beach and starry sky is
the famous northern asterism,
the Big Dipper.
