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Raining stars

Posted by in Today's Image | April 25, 2017

Although they’re called shooting stars, meteors aren’t star-related. They’re really comet dust. Nature photographer John Ashley created this composite image of the Lyrid meteor shower peak April 22.

Photo taken in Tucson, Arizona by John Ashley.

John Ashley wrote on April 22, 2017:

I prepared for a deluge, but this morning’s Lyrid meteor shower was more like a sprinkle. Over five hours (11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.), only three meteors flashing across the northeastern sky were bright enough to shine through west Tucson’s sky glow.

Thanks, John!

We heard from others that the Lyrids were not exceptionally strong this year, but, still, we got this photo and some others that are beautiful. Click here to see more photos of 2017’s Lyrid meteor shower.

Visit John Ashley Fine Art

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. 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. 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.

Tonight

In mid-April, look west after sunset for Mars and the moon

Chart: 4 positions of crescent moon along steep ecliptic line with Mars, Pleiades, Aldebaran labeled.

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