Two nights ago (May 6, 2015), we managed to observe the maximum of Eta Aquarids meteor shower from Atacama desert in Chile. I took a series of images and here is the final result. Despite very bright moon, meteors were noticeable.
On the foreground you can see domes of 6.5-m Magellan telescopes, as well as amazingly large amounts of vegetation (it appeared after heavy rains in Atacama desert in March).
The wind during the night was very strong (up to 35 mph, ~15 m/s). The foreground flowers on the image are completely blurred due to that effect. After all, clouds covered all the sky and we were just lucky to capture the event.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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