Because August is such a fantastic time for stargazing, we’re looking skyward at this spectacular nighttime scene of the Milky Way over the Totensee, a small natural lake in Switzerland. In the Northern Hemisphere, the nights are still long and remain warm, so if you"re lucky you can catch the always thrilling sight of a falling star. Tonight would be a good night to look for one because we"re at the tail end of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Like most predictable meteor showers, it occurs when the Earth"s orbit intersects with the long elliptical path of one of the millions of comets that orbit the sun. It is called the Perseid meteor shower because the bulk of the meteors will appear to originate out of the constellation Perseus. So, turn out the lights, head outside, and look up!
Reflections of the night sky
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Remembering Krakatoa
-
Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!
-
Happy New Year!
-
Azaleas blooming on Hwangmaesan Mountain, South Korea
-
On the wings of the Wright brothers
-
International Tiger Day
-
Red fox in the Netherlands
-
Poppies in bloom
-
World Whale Day
-
Great Backyard Bird Count
-
Celebrating Charles Darwin
-
Happy Thanksgiving!
-
Santorini, Greece
-
Martinique
-
Rock of ages
-
Observing a squirrelly day
-
An uncommon look at an American icon
-
National Aviation Day
-
International Archaeology Day
-
Hyalite Creek at Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana
-
Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
-
Mysterious prairie mounds abound
-
Meandering through Patagonia
-
Frozen beauty
-
Have fun storming the castle
-
World Giraffe Day
-
Ahh-tumn
-
Atlantic puffin, Iceland
-
Diwali
-
Saksun, Faroe Islands, Denmark
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

