[APML] "Perseid Meteors" Photo

["Kevin Wigell" <kwemail@twcny.rr.com>]

To the Editor:

As a long-time subscriber to Time, I was appalled by the photo in your "Best
Photos" edition which purported to be of the Perseid meteor shower. There is
not a single meteor trail in this photo that I am able to discern. Rather,
it appears to be a time-exposure of star trails. This has nothing to do with
meteors. Furthermore, it was not a particularly good photo of star trails. I
have seen many, many better. But that is not the point. Time printed a photo
claiming to be of one thing when it was actually something completely
different. I do not see how this serves your readers.

In the future, please have your science editor review such photos before
they are published to ensure that gross errors like this are avoided. And if
your science editor does not know the difference between a photo of star
trails and meteors, please find a new one.

Sincerely,
Kevin Wigell


--  APML Archives at <http://astro.umsystem.edu/apml/>  ---
             Unsubscribe at <majordomo@seds.org>