Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2021 August 19
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Bright Meteor, Starry Sky
     Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Miguel Claro ([5]TWAN, [6]Dark Sky
                                  Alqueva)

   Explanation: [7]Plowing through Earth's atmosphere at 60 kilometers per
   second, this bright perseid meteor streaks along a starry Milky Way.
   Captured in dark Portugal skies on August 12, it moves right to left
   through the frame. Its colorful trail starts near Deneb (alpha Cygni)
   and ends near Altair (alpha Aquilae), stars of the northern [8]summer
   triangle. In fact this perseid meteor [9]very briefly outshines both,
   two of the brightest stars in planet Earth's night. The trail's initial
   greenish glow is typical of the bright perseid shower meteors. The
   grains of cosmic sand, [10]swept up dust from periodic comet
   Swift-Tuttle, are moving fast enough to excite the characteristic green
   emission of atomic oxygen at altitudes of [11]100 kilometers or so
   before vaporizing in an incandescent flash.

       Notable APOD Image Submissions: [12]Perseid Meteor Shower 2021
                    Tomorrow's picture: Three Dark Nights
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2108/BrightMeteorPerseids2021-7337-crop-net.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://www.miguelclaro.com/wp/
   5. http://www.twanight.org/claro
   6. http://www.darkskyalqueva.com/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180817.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150627.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180908.html
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/perseids/in-depth/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210724.html
  12. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=APOD.Sky&set=a.3855532511217606
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210818.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210819
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210820.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/