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 December 15 [2]A snowy landscape is pictured below a starry sky. The very bright Moon appears on the upper right. Many streaks are visile that are meteors taken over the night. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Geminid Meteors over a Snowy Forest Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jakub Kuřák Explanation: Meteors have been flowing out from the [4]constellation Gemini. This was expected, as mid-December is the time of the [5]Geminid Meteor Shower. Pictured here, over two dozen meteors were caught in [6]successively added exposures taken over several hours early Saturday morning from a [7]snowy forest in [8]Poland. The [9]fleeting streaks were bright enough to be seen over the din of the [10]nearly full Moon on the upper right. These streaks can all be traced back to a point on the sky called the [11]radiant toward the bright stars [12]Pollux and Castor in the image center. The [13]Geminid meteors started as sand sized bits expelled from asteroid [14]3200 [15]Phaethon during its elliptical orbit through the [16]inner Solar System. Jigsaw Challenge: [17]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day Tomorrow's picture: comet cliff __________________________________________________________________ [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search | [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss | [28]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell ([32]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [33]Specific rights apply. [34]NASA Web Privacy, [35]Accessibility, [36]Notices; A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC, [40]NASA Science Activation & [41]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/Geminids_Kurak_5757.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/jakub.kurak/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation) 5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/ 6. https://static8.depositphotos.com/1479497/941/i/380/depositphotos_9415227-stock-photo-cat-near-calculator.jpg 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210206.html 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240826.html 10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/moon-phases/ 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower) 12. https://globeatnight.org/constellation/gemini/ 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191213.html 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241212.html 16. https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/focus-areas/inner-solar-system/ 17. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241214.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 24. https://apod.com/feed.rss 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 27. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241215 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241216.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 35. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 41. http://www.mtu.edu/