Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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. 2024 July 14 [2]A distant spiral galaxy is seen in the image center. A multi-colored streak runs diagonally across the image from the upper left to the lower right. Parts of this streak have gas near it. The background is dark field filled with stars. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Meteor Misses Galaxy Credit & Copyright: [3]Aman Chokshi Explanation: The galaxy was never in danger. For one thing, the [4]Triangulum galaxy (M33), pictured, is much bigger than the [5]tiny grain of rock at the head of the meteor. For another, the galaxy is much farther away -- in this instance 3 million [6]light years as opposed to only about 0.0003 light seconds. Even so, the [7]meteor's path took it angularly below the galaxy. Also the wind high in [8]Earth's atmosphere blew the [9]meteor's glowing evaporative molecule train away from the galaxy, in [10]angular projection. Still, the astrophotographer was quite lucky to capture [11]both a meteor and a galaxy in a single exposure -- which was subsequently added to two other images of [12]M33 to bring up the [13]spiral galaxy's colors. At the end, [14]the meteor was gone in a second, but [15]the galaxy will last billions of years. Your Sky Surprise: [16]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995) Tomorrow's picture: galaxy unwound __________________________________________________________________ [17]< | [18]Archive | [19]Submissions | [20]Index | [21]Search | [22]Calendar | [23]RSS | [24]Education | [25]About APOD | [26]Discuss | [27]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell ([31]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [32]Specific rights apply. [33]NASA Web Privacy, [34]Accessibility, [35]Notices; A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC, [39]NASA Science Activation & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2407/M33Meteor_Chokshi_2000.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/aman_chokshi/ 4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180927.html 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011117.html 6. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/ 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130209.html 8. https://www.nasa.gov/general/what-is-earths-atmosphere/ 9. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/catching-meteor-train 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_perspective#/media/File:Europe_2007_Disk_1_340.jpg 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180812.html 12. https://youtu.be/qVTgWPFRQCo 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_galaxy 14. https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-faq/ 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulum_Galaxy 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240713.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 23. https://apod.com/feed.rss 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 26. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240714 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240715.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 34. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 40. http://www.mtu.edu/