Credit & Copyright: Victor van Wulfen
Explanation:
This bright meteor streaked through dark
night skies over
Sutherland,
South Africa on November 15.
Potentially part of the
annual Leonid meteor shower, its
sudden, brilliant appearance, likened to a camera's flash,
was captured by chance
as it passed between two clouds.
Of course, the two clouds are also visible to the eye in
dark southern skies -
the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds -
satellite galaxies of our own Milky Way.
This year's
Leonid
meteor shower peaked on November 17 as
the Earth passed through the stream of dust from
periodic comet Tempel-Tuttle.
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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: Leonids - meteor - meteor shower
Publications with words: Leonids - meteor - meteor shower
See also: