Solar Eclipse and Meteors: In Europe and Israel, People Looked to the Skies | Photos

A total solar eclipse was visible yesterday in Europe for the first time since 1999, and that same night the Perseid meteor shower peaked in Israel with over 100 meteors per hour in dark areas. The article includes photos and a scientific explanation of the phenomena.

Yesterday (Wednesday), a total solar eclipse was observed in parts of Europe, the first on the continent since 1999, with a partial eclipse visible over wider areas. Millions traveled to witness it. The main paths of totality were in Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. That same night, between Wednesday and Thursday, the Perseid meteor shower peaked in Israel – an impressive meteor shower observed annually between July and August, mainly from the Northern Hemisphere. In areas of Israel with low light pollution, more than a hundred meteors per hour could be seen. The article includes photos of the events and explains the science: the Perseids originate from comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the Sun once every 133 years, and a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon lies between the Earth and the Sun in the ecliptic plane.