Almost every year, stargazers around the globe unite to look up to the heavens as the ancients once did, in search of wonder, in search of starlight and in search of self.
Since the beginning of time, humans have stared at the night skies, documenting the movement of celestial objects; the stars, planets and constellations, in hopes of making sense of our place and purpose in the universe.
Our ancestors, the ancient Canaanites also known as Phoenicians even based their alphabet on several zodiac constellations, Brian R.Pellar writes in the Sino-Platonic Papers.
From the Sino-Platonic Papers
Perseids, the most famous of all annual meteor showers and also the most awaited, peaked on August 12. And although a battle for our attention was unraveling in the heavens between a supermoon and the blazing meteorites, stargazers stood in defiance, in pockets of silence watching as stars appeared to fall down on Earth.
Photo Courtesy of Khalil Azar
Some took to the ground, sitting with their chins up staring endlessly…
Photo courtesy of Georges Asmar
Others took a cheeky, political turn…
Photo courtesy of Karim Bechara
While the rest; those who dub themselves the Night Collective, documented the cosmic events, producing photos that you are all now about to enjoy.
The Night Collective, a group comprised of specialized night photographers has focused on capturing the beauty of the nocturnal world throughout Lebanon for the past five years. Run by Khalil Azar, Tarek el-Wazzi, Gaby Nehme and Karim Bou Karim, the cluster (pun intended) has been on a mission to photograph scenes we have been conditioned to take for granted.
The group celebrated their 5 year anniversary during the Perseids meteor shower, solidifying their existence in a country that has labeled all non-political events futile.
via The Night Collective
Without further ado, here are some of the photos captured during the Perseids meteor shower as seen from the heights of Zaarour, Lebanon. [Some photos were taken in previous events]
The Perseids are comet particles that grace our skies when our Earth passes into a stream of the remnants of Swift-Tuttle. These particles slam into our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of 160,000 kilometers per hour. The friction causes the meteors to burn up in the upper atmosphere, leaving a momentary streak of light in the dark skies. The name derives from where the shower appears to come, called the radiant. This radiant is located in the Perseus constellation – a character in Greek mythology and Perseids refers to the sons of Perseus.
The shower is visible from mid-July each year and peaks between 9 and 14 August. So, if you missed this year’s celestial event, fear not, you can catch it next year on a new moon, instead of a supermoon, which will definitely increase your chances when it comes to witnessing trails of light passing through the night sky.
For those less patient, look out for the Orionids meteor shower due to peak between October 20 and 21 this year. An almost new moon will render the skies less bright and make for good conditions to view the shower.
Pick a high spot away from light pollution, set up your tent, give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness and just look up.
Nadine Mazloum is currently a freelance editor and news producer. She received her Honors in Communication Arts (Media Production) from The University of Western Sydney in 2008