Today's Image

Orionid meteor in moonlight

Photo by Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.
Photo by Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.

The Orionid meteor shower peaked last week, in the light of a bright moon. This photo by Eliot Herman in Tucson – which he captured a day after the shower’s peak – shows it’s possible to see and photograph bright meteors even in moonlight. Thanks for submitting, Eliot!

That’s good, because – although there are several major meteor showers coming up between now and the end of the year – they all have to contend with some amount of moonlight. Check out EarthSky’s meteor guide for 2016.

The moon is waning now, and do be aware that there’s another long-lasting shower going on now, which is known to produce a large number of fireballs, or exceptionally bright meteors. Keep an eye out for Taurid meteors.

Posted 
October 25, 2016
 in 
Today's Image

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