APOD: Halley Dust and Milky Way (2014 May 09)

[APOD Robot]

Halley Dust and Milky Way

Explanation: The early morning hours of May 6 were moonless when grains of cosmic dust streaked through dark skies. Swept up as planet Earth plows through dusty debris streams left behind periodic Comet Halley, the annual meteor shower is known as the Eta Aquarids. This inspired exposure captures a meteor streak moving left right through the frame. Its trail points back across the arc of the Milky Way to the shower's radiant above the local horizon in the constellation Aquarius. Known for speed Eta Aquarid meteors move fast, entering the atmosphere at about 66 kilometers per second. Still waters of the small pond near Albion, Maine, USA reflect the starry scene and the orange glow of nearby artificial lights scattered by a low cloud bank. Of course, northern hemisphere skygazers are expecting a new meteor shower on May 24, the Camelopardalids, caused by dust from periodic comet 209P/LINEAR.

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[starsurfer]

I find it quite fitting that a photograph of an Eta Aquarid meteor also includes a pool of water. So peaceful and serene.

[superwillbee]

Saturn secretly peeking from behind the trees, centre on the right? [And also reflected in the water] Cute and quite natural looking image!

[Guest]

No, the reflected star must be sigma of Libra. Sigma Librii? Say cheese.

[rzn6jw]

I may be wrong about this picture, but isn't the central bulge of the Milky Way in the south if this picture was taken in the northern hemisphere? If this picture is correct wouldn't it make the 'sunrise' a 'sunset'? Was this picture reversed?

[Chris Peterson]

I may be wrong about this picture, but isn't the central bulge of the Milky Way in the south if this picture was taken in the northern hemisphere? If this picture is correct wouldn't it make the 'sunrise' a 'sunset'? Was this picture reversed?

I'd say this image was made looking south at about 3-4am. There is no sunrise or sunset visible. The orange light to the right of the Milky Way is light pollution.

[rzn6jw]

That explains it. Thanks.

[Psnarf]

Does the fact that Earth plows through the debris trail Halley left behind suggest the possibility, however remote, that the two could meet? As the Earth moves (wasn't that a soap opera?) through the debris, how does that affect the nearby particles? Is there a small stream of particles now following us?

[LocalColor]

Serene and lovely photo (we had clouds and no sparkles.)

[Chris Peterson]

Does the fact that Earth plows through the debris trail Halley left behind suggest the possibility, however remote, that the two could meet? As the Earth moves (wasn't that a soap opera?) through the debris, how does that affect the nearby particles? Is there a small stream of particles now following us?

Halley's orbit and the Earth's do not intersect, and the minimum distance between the two is quite large. Barring some major perturbation in the future, there's no likelihood of a collision.

The Earth has only a small effect on the debris stream, and we don't end up with material following us (which would be an unstable orbit).

[Anthony Barreiro]

Saturn secretly peeking from behind the trees, centre on the right? [And also reflected in the water] Cute and quite natural looking image!

Yes, that seems to be Saturn, with Beta Librae above it.

This is a lovely image. If I'm not mistaken, the Eta Aquariid radiant point is beyond the right hand edge of the frame. You can see the western flank of Capricornus along the right hand side of the image, with Aquila's eastern wing tip above Capricornus. Aquarius' water jug would be farther to the right, close to the horizon.

I'm also struck by the sharpness of the stars' reflections in the pond. M7 is easier to find in the water than in the sky!

[superwillbee]

Behind the right hand edge of the frame, and along the right hand side of the image ???? Whooo! Confusing time!
I take it you mean to say the left side of the picture? So the right hand side/edge of the frame/image means the part at my left hand?
Then you are completely right i think.
A little confusing i would say. Haven't heard it like this before.

[geckzilla]

One man's right 270° is another man's left 90°.

[Anthony Barreiro]

Behind the right hand edge of the frame, and along the right hand side of the image ???? Whooo! Confusing time!
I take it you mean to say the left side of the picture? So the right hand side/edge of the frame/image means the part at my left hand?
Then you are completely right i think.
A little confusing i would say. Haven't heard it like this before.

Yup, my left-right confusion has struck again. I get left and right backwards all the time. If I'm giving you directions, look which way I'm pointing, never trust what I say.

[geckzilla]

I have that except with east-west confusion. Maybe they are the same thing, though. This is why I like astronomical orientation because east is left and west is right and that's just the way my brain wants things to be.

[Anthony Barreiro]

I have that except with east-west confusion. Maybe they are the same thing, though. This is why I like astronomical orientation because east is left and west is right and that's just the way my brain wants things to be.

I don't have a problem with east and west, even flipping back and forth between terrestrial/lunar/solar east-west and celestial east and west. Our minds are funny.

[Rusty Brown in Cda]

Does the fact that Earth plows through the debris trail Halley left behind suggest the possibility, however remote, that the two could meet? As the Earth moves (wasn't that a soap opera?) through the debris, how does that affect the nearby particles? Is there a small stream of particles now following us?

I think the soap opera was "As The World Turns". Close, though.

[superwillbee]

Yup, my left-right confusion has struck again. I get left and right backwards all the time. If I'm giving you directions, look which way I'm pointing, never trust what I say.

Yeah, our minds are quite funny, at least every now and then... Things that seem very clear, quite often are not that clear at all. Especially regarding language and the meaning of words.
Being Dutch, English is my second language, and that's the reason i thought i missed something in class, long ago. But apparently it's 'just' the left/right confusion. What could just as easy be the east/west and starboard/port confusion. There seems to be no way out of this.
Isn't that right at least and last? (Ha, funny mind!)

[Anthony Barreiro]

Yup, my left-right confusion has struck again. I get left and right backwards all the time. If I'm giving you directions, look which way I'm pointing, never trust what I say.

Yeah, our minds are quite funny, at least every now and then... Things that seem very clear, quite often are not that clear at all. Especially regarding language and the meaning of words.
Being Dutch, English is my second language, and that's the reason i thought i missed something in class, long ago. But apparently it's 'just' the left/right confusion. What could just as easy be the east/west and starboard/port confusion. There seems to be no way out of this.
Isn't that right at least and last? (Ha, funny mind!)

Like many Americans of the USA variety, I only speak English. I have great respect and admiration for people who are fluent in more than one language, and I'm humbly grateful when folks are willing to communicate with me in English.

[superwillbee]

Like many Americans of the USA variety, I only speak English. I have great respect and admiration for people who are fluent in more than one language, and I'm humbly grateful when folks are willing to communicate with me in English.

Thanks to 'google translate'!

[Mike Taylor Photo]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the kind words about my image! Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Mike Taylor
http://miketaylorphoto.com