                        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.

                               2023 August 23
   A color meteor streak is seen above the Andromeda spiral galaxy. Please
             see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          The Meteor and the Galaxy
                      Credit & Copyright: Jose Pedrero

   Explanation: It came from outer space. It -- in this case a sand-sized
   bit of a comet nucleus -- was likely ejected many years ago from
   Sun-orbiting Comet Swift-Tuttle, but then continued to orbit the Sun
   alone. When the Earth crossed through this orbit, the piece of comet
   debris impacted the atmosphere of our fair planet and was seen as a
   meteor. This meteor deteriorated, causing gases to be emitted that
   glowed in colors emitted by its component elements. The featured image
   was taken last week from Castilla La Mancha, Spain, during the peak
   night of the Perseids meteor shower. The picturesque meteor streak
   happened to appear in the only one of 50 frames that also included the
   Andromeda galaxy. Stars dot the frame, each much further away than the
   meteor. Compared to the stars, the Andromeda galaxy (M31) is, again,
   much further away.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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