                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 3

                    A Perseid Fireball and the Milky Way
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Dandan Huang

   Explanation: It was bright and green and flashed as it moved quickly
   along the Milky Way. It left a trail that took 30 minutes to dissipate.
   Given the day, August 12, and the direction, away from Perseus, it was
   likely a small bit from the nucleus of Comet Swift-Tuttle plowing
   through the Earth's atmosphere -- and therefore part of the annual
   Perseids meteor shower. The astrophotographer captured the fireball as
   it shot across the sky in 2018 above a valley in Yichang, Hubei, China.
   The meteor's streak, also caught on video, ended near the direction of
   Mars on the lower left. Next week, the 2021 Perseids meteor shower will
   peak again. This year the Moon will set shortly after the Sun, leaving
   a night sky ideal for seeing lots of Perseids from dark and clear
   locations across planet Earth.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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