Lyrid Meteor and Milky Way
Credit & Copyright: Tony Rowell /
Astrophotostore.com
Explanation: On April 22nd, the Lyrid Meteor Shower visited planet
Earth's sky,
an annual
shower produced as the Earth plows through dust from the tail of
comet Thatcher. Usually Lyrid meteor
watchers see only a drizzle. Just a few meteors per hour stream away from the
shower's
radiant point near bright star Vega in the
constellation Lyra. But photographer Tony Rowell still managed to catch one
bright Lyrid meteor. Recorded in early
morning
hours, his well-composed image looks
toward the
south from White Mountains of eastern California, USA. During the time
exposure, he briefly illuminated an old mining cabin in the region's Ancient
Bristlecone
Pine Forest in the foreground. The rich starfields and dust clouds of our
own
Milky Way galaxy stretch across the background,
along the
meteor's glowing
trail.
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry
Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official:
Phillip Newman Specific rights
apply.
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