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Credit & Copyright: P-M Hedön
(Clear Skies,
TWAN)
Explanation:
Bright Mars
and even brighter Jupiter
are in close conjunction just above the pine trees
in this post-midnight skyscape from Vallentuna,
Sweden.
Taken on August 12 during a geomagnetic storm,
the snapshot records the glow of aurora borealis
or northern lights, beaming from the left side of the frame.
Of course on
that
date Perseid meteors
rained through planet Earth's skies, grains of dust from the
shower's parent, periodic comet
Swift-Tuttle.
The meteor streak at the upper right is a Perseid plowing through
the atmosphere at about 60 kilometers per second.
Also well-known in in Earth's night sky, the bright Pleides star cluster
shines below the Perseid meteor streak.
In Greek myth, the Pleiades were
seven daughters
of the astronomical titan Atlas and sea-nymph Pleione.
The Pleiades and their parents' names are given to the cluster's
nine brightest stars.
Gallery:
Perseid
Meteor Shower 2024 and Aurorae
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day