Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Explanation:This was a good year for the Perseids meteor shower.
A key reason wasthe Moonwas absent from lighting upEarth’s night skyso thatmore meteorswere visible than usual.
Where was the Moon?
It was busyvisiting the Sun.
Near the Perseids peak, the Moon moved directly in front of the Sun and created a totalsolar eclipsevisible from GreenlandandSpain.
ThePerseidsoccur when the Earth collides with astream of Sun-orbiting debriscast off byComet Swift-Tuttle.
Perseid meteors, although typically only the size of asandgrain, tend to be fast and bright because Swift-Tuttle’s debris orbitsthe Sunin adirection partly opposite Earth’s orbital motion.
In thefeatured imagecompilation, accumulated over several nights from Jizerkain the Czech Republic, the Perseids meteor streaks can be traced back to a single location on the sky — itsradiantin Perseus.
Gallery:Perseids Meteor Shower of 2026Tomorrow’s picture:open space