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LONG after sunset, sweltering 40oC heat still hung over the vast, remote Gobi Desert as hot winds swept across the wilderness.
Suddenly and fleetingly, a blazing fireball streaked across the star-studded sky, leaving a long, glowing trail and drawing loud whoops of amazement from stargazers.
Astrophotographers stationed behind their tripods leaned forward to eagerly check their camera screens, hoping to have captured the fleeting moment. As the Perseid meteor shower peaked on Aug 12 and 13, observers and astrophotographers across China flocked to the Pterosaur-Yardang Dahaidao Scenic Area in Hami, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to witness the celestial event.
“Stargazers are absolutely drawn to this place, and for good reason. Beyond minimal light pollution, the air here is extremely dry with little dust, creating exceptional atmospheric transparency,” said veteran astrophotographer Liu Bing from Beijing.
