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.

                              2021 December 17
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Geminid of the North
                  Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Alvin Wu

   Explanation: An arid expanse of the [5]Tengger Desert in north-central
   China, planet Earth fills the foreground of this starry scene. A
   widefield panoramic view, it was recorded shortly after moonset in the
   local predawn hours of December 14. Pictured in the still dark sky,
   stars of the [6]northern winter hexagon surround a luminous Milky Way.
   Seen near the peak of the [7]annual meteor shower, the startling flash
   of a bright Geminid fireball meteor was also captured on that night.
   Above the western horizon and just below bright star Capella, its
   dagger-like trail points back to the meteor shower's [8]radiant in
   Gemini. Of course, the constellation Gemini is easy to spot. Its twin
   bright stars, bluish [9]Castor and yellowish Pollux are near top center
   in the frame.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
     __________________________________________________________________

      [10]< | [11]Archive | [12]Submissions | [13]Index | [14]Search |
   [15]Calendar | [16]RSS | [17]Education | [18]About APOD | [19]Discuss |
                                    [20]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [25]Specific rights apply.
              [26]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [27]ASD at [28]NASA / [29]GSFC
                           & [30]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2112/GeminidFireball_AlvinWu.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/alvinwufoto/
   5. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/16124/dust-storm-in-the-tengger-desert
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191226.html
   7. https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2021/12/09/geminid-meteor-shower-nasa-to-livestream-annual-highlight-of-december-skies/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151217.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170516.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211216.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  14. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211217
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211218.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  24. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  27. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  30. http://www.mtu.edu/