The night before the Perseid Meteor Shower was set to peak on August 11, I spent the evening at Wayah Bald. The fire tower is located at high altitude in Nantahala National forest. During the day it’s quite popular because this is where Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail intersect. And at night, it offers a secluded setting for stargazing, away from city light pollution. Although Franklin is nearby, the southeastern sky is free from city lights. Meteors rained through the sky all night. There was this one meteor that made a spectacular entrance as it passed just close to the galactic center. And in that moment, I clicked. It was the brightest meteor I saw that night. As for the rest for the night, mists engulfed the forest but I just sat there near the tower and watched the meteor fall from the sky one after another.

Multiple exposure image. The stars and milky way are 20 exposures stacked to reduce noise. Single exposure for the meteor and foreground.