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

                      Fireflies, Meteors, and Milky Way
                Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Daniel Korona

   Explanation: Taken on July 29 and July 30, a registered and stacked
   series of exposures creates this [5]dreamlike view of a [6]northern
   summer night. Multiple firefly flashes streak across the foreground as
   the luminous Milky Way arcs above the horizon in the Sierra de Órganos
   national park of central Mexico, The collection of bright streaks
   aligned across the sky toward the upper left in the timelapse image are
   Delta Aquariid meteors
   . Currently active, the annual [7]Delta Aquarid meteor shower shares
   August nights though, overlapping with the better-known [8]Perseid
   meteor shower. This year that makes post-midnight, mostly moonless
   skies in early August very popular with late night skygazers. [9]How
   can you tell a Delta Aquariid from a Perseid meteor? The streaks of
   Perseid meteors can be traced back to an apparent radiant in the
   constellation Perseus. Delta Aquariids appear to emerge from the more
   southerly constellation Aquarius, beyond the top left of this frame. Of
   course, the bioluminescent flashes of fireflies are common too on these
   northern summer nights. But how can you tell a firefly from a meteor?
   [10]Just try to catch one.

                         Tomorrow's picture: or ...
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply.
            [27]NASA Web Privacy, [28]Accessibility, [29]Notices;
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/DeltaAqrFireflies.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. mailto: dakoko_minera at live dot com dot ar
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110805.html
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-august-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/delta-aquariids/
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/perseids/
   9. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-delta-aquarid-meteor-shower/
  10. https://www.firefly.org/how-to-catch-fireflies.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250801.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250802
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250803.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/