an 1833 woodcut of the 1833 Leonids display over Niagara Falls
Toronto. Each year as the world rotates around the sun, it passes through the comet debris known as the Perseids meteors. The best and most spectacular display of the resulting ‘shooting stars’ is mid August. While Astronomical Photography was and is common, it is difficult to find the earliest date the Perseids were captured by a photographer.
Another impressive exhibition of ‘shooting stars’ is called the Leonids and appears about every 33 years so it will occur again around 2030 give or take. The image at left is an 1833 woodcut of the Leonids display over our Niagara Falls in November of that year (courtesy of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada).
Meantime , keep an eye or camera peeled for the Perseids this year – your image may be of historical importance in the future. Do a Google search for recent photographs.
