Astronomy Picture Of The Day Explore the cosmos Every day, a new image or photograph of the universe is presented. A brief explanation by an astronomer is included. 2021 September 24
Perseid Outburst at Westmeath Lookout
Image Credit & Copyright: Pierre Martin
Explanation: Skywatchers were surprised by this year's Perseid meteor outburst. The meteor shower's peak was expected to occur on the night of August 12/13. Perseid shower reports were reported as numerous meteors per minute or per second by North American observers. This Perseid shower burst occurred a day later. This composite image shows the radiant shower high above a dark night sky. It meticulously records the trails of 282 Perseids during the spectacular outburst activity that occurred between 0650 UT (02.50am EDT), and 0900 UT (05:00am ET) on August 14. The event was captured from Westmeath Lookout in Ontario. The annual Perseid meteor shower is a result of planet Earth passing through dusty debris from periodic comet, 109P/Swift–Tuttle. The 2021 eruption could have been caused unanticipated by an encounter with the Perseid Filament. This is a dense ribbon of dust within the larger debris zone.
