A bright fireball briefly streaked across the night sky over Xinjiang, leaving a glowing trail as stargazers and astrophotographers gathered to observe the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
As the meteor shower reached its peak on Aug 12 and 13, astronomy enthusiasts from across China travelled to the Pterosaur-Yardang Dahaidao Scenic Area in Hami, located in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to capture the celestial spectacle.
Astrophotographers positioned behind their tripods closely monitored their camera screens in hopes of recording the brief appearance of the meteors.
Veteran astrophotographer Liu Bing from Beijing said the area had become popular among stargazers because of its low levels of light pollution, dry climate and clean air, which provide favourable conditions for astronomical photography.
The region’s distinctive wind-eroded Yardang landforms also offer photographers an opportunity to combine the natural landscape with celestial objects, resulting in unique night-sky images.
Liu and other photographers recently attended the annual Sweet Whispers to the Galaxy Festival in Hami, where they photographed the Perseid meteor shower.
The festival was organised to further promote Hami as a major destination for astronomical observation and astrophotography. Many of the participating photographers belong to the China StarVision Alliance, a national platform representing nearly 1,000 astrophotographers.
