                        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.

                              2024 February 17

                        Meteor over the Bay of Naples
            Image Credit & Copyright: Wang Letian (Eyes at Night)

   Explanation: A cosmic dust grain plowing through the upper atmosphere
   much faster than a falling leaf created this brilliant meteor streak.
   In a serendipitous moment, the sublime night sky view was captured from
   the resort island of Capri, in the Bay of Naples, on the evening of
   February 8. Looking across the bay, the camera faces northeast toward
   the lights of Naples and surrounding cities. Pointing toward the
   horizon, the meteor streak by chance ends above the silhouette of Mount
   Vesuvius. One of planet Earth's most famous volcanos, an eruption of
   Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 AD.

                     Tomorrow's picture: nearly perfect
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

