Eileen Seto's photos with the keyword: astronomy

Comets have always sparked the imagination. In the old days, they were seen as omens bringing doom and disaster, messengers of the gods. These days our scientists tell a different story. Comets may bring with them a variety of organic molecules including amino acids, the building blocks of life. So it's possible that these ancient visitors to our solar system may have seeded life on our planet! Omens and science aside, there's no doubt that the appearance of comets will continue to fascinate humankind for as long as we watch the skies, if only for their rare beauty. Taken on July 23, 2020 from Ottawa, Canada.

Solar prominences (the red loopy bits on the right edge) visible at eclipse totality. Due to the brightness of the sun's corona, I was not able to see them with my naked eyes, so was delighted to have them show up in the photos. The sun's "secret" revealed!

I'd always wanted to see a total solar eclipse with my own eyes. This year, I finally made the pilgrimage to the eclipse path, and what a sight indeed it was! Shown here is the "diamond ring effect" just brief moments before totality.

The best viewing for the Perseid meteor shower this year was a couple of weeks earlier than the shower's peak, because of the moon phase. Luckily, this timeframe coincided with the peak of the lesser-known Delta Aquarid meteor shower in late July. I camped out on Mystic Beach along the west coast to get a good view of the show. I saw some quick 'n' bright fireballs, and my camera caught several faint ones. Make a wish! (Or two, if you can find the really faint one!)

I took several long exposure shots of the night sky during the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which happens every year around this time, thanks to the debris from Halley's Comet. Though I didn't see a single meteor with my naked (or bespectacled!) eyes that night, my camera's sensor caught many, often two or three in a single exposure. This one showed the longest meteor trail. Make a wish!