Meteors, Planes, and a Galaxy over Bryce Canyon

Sometimes land and sky are both busy and beautiful. The landscape pictured in the foreground encompasses Bryce Canyon in Utah , USA , famous for its many interesting rock structures eroded over millions of years. The featured skyscape, photogenic in its own right, encompasses the arching central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy , the short streaks of three passing planes near the horizon, at least four long streaks that are likely Eta Aquariid meteors , and many stars including the three bright stars that make up the Summer Triangle . The featured image is a digital panorama created from 12 smaller images during this date in 2014. Recurring every year, yesterday and tonight mark the peak of this year's Eta Aquriids meteor shower , where a patient observer with dark skies and dark-adapted eye s might expect to see a meteor every few minutes.