The ongoing Perseid meteor shower is the inspiration behind Monday's Google doodle. The Perseid meteor shower 2014 doodle depicts shooting stars across an ever-changing sky.
Unlike some quirky doodles, this one is a short video clip with pleasant music playing in the background. The sky takes various colours, which resembles an aurora, while shooting stars are seen in the animated video clip. The Perseid meteor shower doodle almost feels like the view from the window of a fast-moving vehicle.
The Perseid meteor shower is linked to the comet Swift-Tuttle. Perseids have derived their name due to the radiant they appear to arrive from. This radiant is in the Perseus constellation - named after a character in Greek mythology. Belgian astronomer Adolphe Quetelet is credited with discovering this meteor shower in 1835.
The Perseid meteor shower can be seen from mid-July each year, primarily in the northern hemisphere. The celestial event is at its most prominent between August 9 and 14, which explains the timing of this doodle.
The Perseid meteor shower doodle was designed by Sophie Diao, who drew inspiration from "travel and time-lapse footage documenting meteor showers". In a short Q&A posted on Google's doodle archive, Diao says she was inspired by long drives, trips to national parks and space.
Regarding her research for the Perseid meteor shower doodle, Diao says, "Most of my research involved watching actual time-lapse footage of previous meteor showers. In my reading, I learned that meteors appear to "radiate" from a central point but that you can see them all across the sky."
The Perseid meteor shower doodle artist added, "However, every once in a while, a meteoroid will become separated from the stream, and enter our atmosphere at a different angle. I tried to pay homage to these "loners" by throwing a few of them in the video - you'll see that they appear to come from other angles in the sky."
The soothing music heard in the background of the Perseid meteor shower doodle was composed by Niko Leiva. Diao says the track was inspired by the mountains of Bolivia, but "I think its contemplative mood fits the sky just as nicely".
Diao concluded by saying that she hoped the doodle would inspire people to go out and see the Perseid meteor shower.
She says, "But at the very least, be reminded that there's a meteor shower going on right above us, and that the universe is amazing!"
For more Google doodles, visit this page.
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