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Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot
(TWAN)
Explanation:
The pre-dawn hours of May 3rd
were moonless
as grains of cosmic dust streaked through southern skies
above Reunion Island.
Swept up as planet Earth plowed through dusty debris streams left
behind periodic
Comet 1/P Halley,
the annual meteor shower is
known
as the Eta Aquarids.
This inspired exposure captures a bright aquarid meteor flashing
left to right over a sea of clouds.
The meteor streak points back to the shower's
radiant in the constellation Aquarius,
well above the eastern horizon and off the top of the frame.
Known for speed Eta Aquarid meteors move fast,
entering the atmosphere at about 66 kilometers per second,
visible at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so.
Then about 6 light-minutes from Earth, the
pale greenish coma and long tail
of Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN were
not to be left out of the celestial scene, posing above
the volcanic peaks left of center.
Now in the northern sky's morning twilight near the eastern horizon
Comet SWAN has not become as
bright as anticipated
though.
This first time comet made its closest approach to planet Earth only two days
ago and reaches perihelion on May 27.
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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 February 5 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Setting over a Chilean Hill
- APOD: 2025 February 2 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Disintegrates
- APOD: 2025 January 28 Á Comet G3 ATLAS over Uruguay
- 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