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. 2025 August 6 [2]A starfield has the Andromeda galaxy in the center. Streaking down from the top is a green line with several bright segments -- a meteor captured coincidently. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Meteor before Galaxy Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Fritz Helmut Hemmerich Explanation: What's that green streak in front of the Andromeda galaxy? A meteor. While photographing the [4]Andromeda galaxy in 2016, near the peak of the [5]Perseid [6]Meteor [7]Shower, a small pebble from deep space [8]crossed right in front of our [9]Milky Way Galaxy's far-distant companion. The small [10]meteor took only a fraction of a second to pass through this 10-degree field. The [11]meteor flared several times while braking violently upon entering [12]Earth's atmosphere. The [13]green color was created, at least in part, by the meteor's gas glowing as it vaporized. Although [14]the exposure was timed to catch a [15]Perseid meteor, the orientation of the imaged streak seems a better match to a meteor from the [16]Southern Delta Aquariids, a [17]meteor shower that peaked a few weeks earlier. Not coincidentally, the [18]Perseid Meteor Shower peaks next week, although [19]this year the meteors will have to outshine a [20]sky brightened by a nearly full moon. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices; A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC, [43]NASA Science Activation & [44]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/MeteorM31_hemmerich_1948.jpg 3. https://www.flickr.com/people/fhhemmerich/ 4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150830.html 5. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.488496753878907&type=3 6. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2859552167482317&type=3 7. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3855532511217606&type=3 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030802.html 9. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-milky-way-galaxy/ 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteors 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081011.html 12. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-atmosphere/earths-atmosphere-a-multi-layered-cake/ 13. https://www.amsmeteors.org/fireballs/faqf/#5 14. https://www.flickr.com/photos/fhhemmerich/28945882316/in/dateposted/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160808.html 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Delta_Aquariids 17. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-delta-aquarid-meteor-shower 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html 19. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower/ 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200408.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250805.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.com/feed.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250806 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250807.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 44. http://www.mtu.edu/