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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Autumn Clark
Credit: Autumn Clark
Night sky watcher Autumn Clark took this photo of a Perseid meteor streaking through the sky on August 12, 2012 from Chula Vista, Calif.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Krystal Denton
Credit: Krystal Denton
Night sky watcher Krystal Denton took this photo of Venus, moon, and Jupiter in perfect alignment along with an unexpected meteor falling on August 12, 2012 from the Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Ariz.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Vaibhav Tripathi
Credit: Vaibhav Tripathi
Night sky watcher Vaibhav Tripathi took this photo of a Perseid meteor from the Santa Cruz Mountains near Palo Alto, Calif. on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Allan Candler
Credit: Allan Candler
Night sky watcher Allan Candler took this photo of the moon, Jupiter and a meteor from Batesville, Ark. on August 12, 2012. Candler wrote, "This was my first meteor shower to witness, and I was amazed by it."
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: David Proebstel
Credit: David Proebstel
Night sky watcher David Proebstel took this photo of the crescent moon, Venus and a Perseid meteor on August 12, 2012 from Sequim, Wash.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: David Harpe
Credit: David Harpe
Night sky watcher David Harpe took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Boulder, Colo. on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Greg Kretovic
Credit: Greg Kretovic
Night sky watcher Greg Kretovic took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Nahma, Mich. on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Ali Carey
Credit: Ali Carey
Night sky watcher Ali Carey took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: David Kingham
Night sky watcher David Kingham took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Snowy Range in Wyoming on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Natalie Duran
Credit: Natalie Duran
Night sky watcher Natalie Duran took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Joshua Tree National Park on August 12, 2012. The photographer can be seen standing on a rock in the background.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Chris Bakley
Credit: Chris Bakley
Night sky watcher Chris Bakley sent in this photo of a Perseid meteor taken from Cape May Court House, NJ, on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Bill Vaughn
Credit: Bill Vaughn
Night sky watcher Bill Vaughn took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Mount Lemmon near Tucson, Ariz. on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Jon Gibson
Credit: Jon Gibson
Night sky watcher Jon Gibson took this photo of the Milky Way during the Perseid shower on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Bill Vaughn
Credit: Bill Vaughn
Night sky watcher Bill Vaughn took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower from Mount Lemmon near Tucson, Ariz. on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Madison Jindrak
Credit: Madison Jindrak
Night sky watcher Madison Jindrak took this photo of a Perseid meteor from Knoxville, TN, on August 12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: John Brickley
Credit: John Brickley
Night sky watcher John Brickley photographed this Perseid meteor at Little Sweden, California on August 11, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Greg S. Kornmueller
Credit: Greg S. Kornmueller
Night sky watcher Greg S. Kornmueller sent in this photo of two Perseid meteors taken near Silver Eagle Refinery at Evans, WY, on August 13, 2012. He writes: "'X' marks the spot."
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Roberto Porto
Credit: Roberto Porto
Veteran astrophotographer Roberto Porto snapped this spectacular view of a Perseid meteor over Mount Teide National Park in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa on Aug. 11, 2012 during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower. The Milky Way and rock arch Zapata de la Reina (Queen's Shoe) are visible.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Rowena Zimmers
Credit: Rowena Zimmers
Night sky watcher Rowena Zimmers sent in this photo of her family watching the 2012 Perseid meteor shower peak from their roof in Illinois on Aug. 11-12, 2012.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Jeff Rose
Credit: Jeff Rose/Jeka Photography
Photographer Jeff Rose captured this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor and the bright moon just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 11 during the 2012 from Cave City, Arkansas, during the 2012 Perseid meteor shower peak.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Tomáš Chlíbec
Credit: Tomáš Chlíbec
Night sky watcher Tomáš Chlíbec took this photo during the Perseid meteor shower on August 12, 2012 near Prague in the Czech Republic.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Tyler Leavitt
Credit: Tyler Leavitt
The moon and Venus shine bright alongside a Perseid meteor (upper right) on Aug. 12 in this view by photographer Tyler Leavitt in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Tuomo Leppänen
Credit: Tuomo Leppänen
Stargazer Tuomo Leppänen of Lahti, Finland, captured this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor lighting up the sky during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: NASA
Credit: NASA/MSFC
NASA's all-sky camera network run by Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Ala., captured this composite view of Perseid meteors (and some others) seen on Aug. 10, 2012. The cameras used are in New Mexico.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Tyler Leavitt
Credit: Tyler Leavitt
Photographer Tyler Leavitt captured this bright Perseid meteor on Aug. 12 as it lit up the sky just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Tyler Leavitt
Credit: Tyler Leavitt
Photographer Tyler Leavitt captured this bright Perseid meteor on Aug. 12 as it lit up the sky just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Adrian Gutierrez
Credit: Adrian Gutierrez
Night sky watcher Adrian Gutierrez snapped this view of a Perseid meteor from Lockhart, Texas, during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
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Perseid meteor Shower 2012: William Federspiel
Credit: William Federspiel
Amateur astronomer William Federspiel snapped this view of the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower from Richmond, Kentucky.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Samuel Hartman 2
Credit: Samuel Hartman
Stargazer Samuel Hartman caught this view of a Perseid meteor and the moon during the shower's peak on Aug. 12, 2012, from State College, Pa.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Matthew Henderson
Credit: Matthew Henderson
Stargazer Matthew Henderson snapped this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor shining with the moon (right), Jupiter and Venus (bottom) shining over Lake Berryessa, Calif., during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Samuel Hartman
Credit: Sam Hartman
Stargazer Samuel Hartman caught this view of a Perseid meteor during the shower's peak on Aug. 12, 2012, from State College, Pa.
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2012 Perseid Meteor Shower: Douglas Keck
Credit: Douglas Keck
Stargazer Douglas Keck snapped this photo of two Perseid meteors together while watching the 2012 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 11-12, 2012, from his driveway in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Keck used a Nikon D70 camera.
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Perseid Meteor Shower 2012: Maxim Senin
Credit: Maxim Senin
Even the bright lights of Los Angeles, Calif., couldn't wash out the 2012 Perseid meteor shower. Night sky observer Maxim Senin captured a Perseid (lower right) in this view from Los Angeles National Forest north Castaic, Calif., outside L.A. (the city lights appear bright due to long exposure) using a Canon 20D camera.
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Perseid Meteor Graphic 2012
Credit: NASA/JPL
This NASA sky map shows the location in the northern sky where the Perseid meteor shower will appear to radiate from in 2012. The Perseid meteor shower peaks every August and appears to fly out of the constellation Perseus.
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2012 Perseid Meteor Shower Map
Credit: Starry Night Software
The Perseid meteors appear to radiate from a point between the constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia, in the northeastern section of the sky. The 2012 Perseid meteor shower display peaks on Aug. 12.
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Perseid Meteor Shower Radiant Altitudes
Credit: Joe Rao
This chart depicts the position (in degrees above the horizon) that the Perseid meteor shower radiant will appear in the northeastern sky in August 2012. Your closed fist held out at arm's length covers 10 degrees of the night sky.
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2012 Perseid Meteors over Southern New Jersey
Credit: Jeff Berkes
Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes sent in a photo of Perseid meteors taken at East Point Lighthouse in southern New Jersey, August 2012.
