Meteor shower

The Perseid meteor shower peaked on the night of August 12-13. So after the partial solar eclipse, a colleague and I went to the east coast to photograph this. The meteor shower is created when the Earth passes through a trail of space debris and particles left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. When these particles (often no larger than a grain of sand) fall into the Earth's atmosphere, they travel at about 59 kilometers per second and burn up, creating the luminous streaks in the sky.

The picture shows 5 meteors over the Baltic Sea. In the foreground is a close-up (macro) of detailed lichen in UV light (blue and orange) and also a diving beetle (visible in yellow in UV)! Most species are dark, oval and flat to reduce water resistance. Their hind legs act as powerful, hair-covered oars that they use to move through the water. Because they breathe air, they carry an oxygen bubble under their coverts when they dive. This bubble acts as a kind of "physical gill" and is replenished when the ram backs up to the surface, tail first.

Pine lichen and crescent moon

Fluorescent lichens and moss on a pine tree by illuminating with UV light.

Lichens on trees are usually completely harmless and are not a sign of disease. They only use the tree as a foothold and do not take nutrition from it. The lichens indicate clean air and serve as homes for insects, which attracts small birds.

Key facts about lichens on trees:

No harm: Lichens do not penetrate the bark, do not cause rot and do not harm the growth of the tree.

Epiphytes: They grow as so-called epiphytes, mainly on older trees, and get nutrition from water and air.

Air quality: Abundant occurrence of lichens is a sign of a good air environment.

Common types: Examples are leaf lichens such as lung lichen, beard lichen and crust lichen.

Ecological benefit: Lichens provide habitat for small animals, which benefits bird life.

In the sky, a slightly overexposed crescent moon with thin clouds in front.

The lonely pine cone

Finally some starry skies! Orion is beautifully high in the sky with the bright planet Jupiter to its left. Took a walk in the woods and saw this pine cone lying on the ground. Took a close-up of it and the starry sky. The pine cone is the spruce's equivalent of a flower. It acts as a protection for the tree's seeds and reacts to humidity by opening when dry and closing when wet.

Quick facts:

Seed bank: A single pine cone can contain up to 200 seeds.

Maturation: The cones mature during their first autumn and release the seeds during sunny spring and winter days.

Who eats them? Squirrels often gnaw them clean, while woodpeckers wedge them into the bark to get to the seeds.

Cone year: The spruce produces abundant cones about every five to seven years, which is called a cone year.

Lonely lingonberry leaves

Many nights with clouds and no photography. But tonight the sky was clear and I went out in the moonlit forest and found this lonely lingonberry leaves sticking up above the snow. They can withstand temperatures down to -45 degrees. This night in the moonlight the temperature is -11 degrees. Lingonberry leaves (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) are known to be rich in substances such as arbutin and proanthocyanidins, which makes them traditionally valuable for urinary tract problems. They can be used as a tea or tincture but should be used in moderation and not during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Health effects: Lingonberry leaves are often used as a natural home remedy for urinary tract infections, like bearberry leaves. They are also considered to have antioxidant properties.

Uses: Dried leaves can be used to make tea, where 1-3 teaspoons of leaves are brewed in 200 ml of boiling water for 10-15 minutes.