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Credit & Copyright: Thad V'Soske
(Cosmotions.com)
Explanation:
The rock formation in the foreground of this night view
was recorded on August 10,
illuminated by light from a waning gibbous Moon.
Even though the sky above also
scatters the bright moonlight, a brilliant meteor was captured as it flashed
across
the scene during the 30 second long exposure.
Of course, the meteor was part of the
annual rain of dust from
periodic Comet Swift-Tuttle known as the
Perseid Meteor Shower.
Leaving trails that point back to a
radiant in the
constellation Perseus, the
ancient dust particles are
vaporized as they enter the atmosphere at about 60 kilometers
per second, their visible streaks beginning at altitudes
of around 100 kilometers.
And though it looks like the knuckles of a giant hand,
the curious rock formation can be
found in Colorado National Monument park, USA,
planet Earth.
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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: comet - meteor
Publications with words: comet - meteor
See also:
- APOD: 2025 January 26 Á The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS
- Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope
- APOD: 2025 January 21 Á Comet ATLAS over Brasilia
- APOD: 2025 January 20 Á Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun
- APOD: 2025 January 13 Á Comet ATLAS Before Sunrise
- APOD: 2024 December 16 Á A Kilometer High Cliff on Comet Churyumov Gerasimenko
- APOD: 2024 November 27 Á The Meteor and the Comet