Tweeting to the High Heavens

Amateur astronomers in the U.K. and elsewhere are keeping their eyes on the skies and their fingers on the keyboard as they view and tweet the Perseid meteor shower. It's the first annual Twitter Meteorwatch.

In an article in yesterday's Science Daily, Steve Owens, the U.K. co-coordinator of IYA2009 (International Year of Astronomy) enthused: “IYA2009 is all about getting people to look up and ask questions about the night sky. With so many astronomers taking part in the Twitter Meteorwatch there will always be something to see and someone to answer your questions.”

Wondering what a shooting star really is? Curious about the origin of the name "Perseid" meteor shower? "Shooting stars" are really tiny bits of the rock and ice that make up the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle -- through which Earth passes each August. And the term "Perseids" refers to the apparent point of origin of the meteors -- in the constellation Perseus.

You can follow the Twitter Meteorwatch at @NewburyAS and @astronomy209uk on http://twitter.com and search for the term #meteorwatch.

Photo courtesy of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection