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:
-
‘The mountains are calling’
-
Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
-
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
-
A whale of a picture
-
Frog Month
-
An aviation celebration
-
Mediterranean red sea stars
-
Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
-
The circular castle of Cornwall
-
Procida, Italy
-
Kluane National Park
-
Valentines Day
-
It s only Wednesday
-
World Art Day
-
Diving into World Oceans Day
-
Bellissima!
-
Let the games (finally) begin!
-
Flock online for the Great Backyard Bird Count
-
Work out on your way to work
-
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
-
A Welsh wonder turns 70
-
Islands of the Salish Sea
-
Winter in Old Nuuk
-
Bird’s-eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
-
Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
-
In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
-
Lighting the way to new beginnings
-
Star Wars Day
-
It s Mountain Day in Japan
-
Daylight saving time