                        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.

                                 2022 June 4

                          Tau Herculids from Space
    Image Credit & Copyright: Zhuoxiao Wang, Yangwang-1 Space Telescope,
                                Origin.Space

   Explanation: On May 31 tens of parallel meteor streaks were recorded in
   this 8 degree wide field of view of planet Earth's limb from space. The
   image is one of a series of 5 minute long observations by the orbiting
   Yangwang-1 space telescope. It was captured at 03:43 UT, near the peak
   of the Tau Herculid meteor shower. As predicted, the meteor shower was
   an active one this year, caused as Earth swept through a relatively
   dense stream of debris from disintegrating Comet
   73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, but was lacking bright meteors. Nearly all
   of the Tau Herculid meteors in the Yangwang-1 image are too faint to be
   detected by groundbased instruments. But on that date patient
   earthbound skywatchers under clear skies still enjoyed a memorable
   showing of the Tau Herculids.

                     Tomorrow's picture: gravity's dance
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

