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Credit & Copyright: W. Pacholka
Explanation:
Has Orion the Hunter acquired a new weapon?
If you turn your head sideways (counterclockwise)
you might notice the familiar constellation of Orion, particularly the three consecutive
bright stars that make up
Orion's belt.
But in addition to the stars that compose his
sword,
Orion appears to have added some sort of futuristic light-saber,
possibly in an attempt to finally track down
Taurus the Bull.
Actually, the bright streak is a meteor from the
Perseid Meteor Shower,
a shower that put on an impressive display last Tuesday morning,
when this photograph was taken. This meteor was likely a small icy pebble shed years ago from
Comet Swift-Tuttle that
evaporated as it entered
Earth's atmosphere.
Tomorrow's picture: A Universe in a Box
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: meteor
Publications with words: meteor
See also: