                        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.

                               2024 August 16

                               Meteor Borealis
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Jason Dain

   Explanation: A single exposure made with a camera pointed almost due
   north on August 12 recorded this bright Perseid meteor in the night sky
   west of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The meteor's incandescent trace
   is fleeting. It appears to cross the stars of the Big Dipper, famous
   northern asterism and celestial kitchen utensil, while shimmering
   curtains of aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, dance
   in the night. Doubling the wow factor for night skywatchers near the
   peak of this year's Perseid meteor shower auroral activity on planet
   Earth was enhanced by geomagnetic storms. The intense space weather was
   triggered by flares from an active Sun.

               Gallery: Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 and Aurorae
                     Tomorrow's picture: meteor borealis
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

