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 12
   [2]A starfield is shown above a grassy field with hills on the horizon.
    The band of our Milky Way Galaxy arches across toward the right. Many
    streaks appear emanating out from a place on the Milky Way just above
   the horizon. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                            Perseids from Perseus
              Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Marcin Rosadziński

   Explanation: Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of
   direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the [4]constellation of
   Perseus. That is why the meteor shower that peaks tonight is known as
   the [5]Perseids -- the [6]meteors all appear to come from a [7]radiant
   toward Perseus. In terms of parent body, though, the [8]sand-sized
   debris that makes up the [9]Perseids meteors come from [10]Comet
   Swift-Tuttle. The comet follows a [11]well-defined orbit around our
   Sun, and the part of the orbit that [12]approaches Earth is superposed
   in front of Perseus. Therefore, when Earth crosses this orbit, the
   [13]radiant point of falling debris appears in Perseus. [14]Featured
   here, a composite image taken over six nights and containing over 100
   meteors from 2024 August [15]Perseids meteor shower shows many
   [16]bright meteors that [17]streaked over the [18]Bieszczady Mountains
   in [19]Poland. This year's [20]Perseids, usually one of the [21]best
   meteor showers of the year, will compete with a bright moon that
   [22]will rise, for many locations, soon [23]after sunset.

                Tomorrow's picture: [24]orion's stellar heart
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [40]Specific rights apply.
            [41]NASA Web Privacy, [42]Accessibility, [43]Notices;
                A service of: [44]ASD at [45]NASA / [46]GSFC,
                         [47]NASA Science Activation
                           & [48]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/PerseidsRadiant_Marcin_5500.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/krakow_astrophotography/
   4. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/const.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150813.html
   6. https://youtu.be/CwrvN0Q9_Sg
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070812.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteor
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/perseids/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960219.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html
  12. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vzf3tW7n2VM/T5C-PyI7DII/AAAAAAAACZY/UCr8FgmMQxE/s400/bigstock-Dog-with-globe-Our-world-is-i-25891268.JPG
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower)
  14. https://www.instagram.com/p/DD41fPcImzU/
  15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081125.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090302.html
  18. https://youtu.be/VVaaHclx3R8
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland
  20. https://www.planetary.org/articles/your-guide-meteor-shower
  21. https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/2017-meteor-shower-list/
  22. https://youtu.be/7Hch_mP7IqM
  23. https://www.timeanddate.com/news/astronomy/perseid-meteor-shower-2025
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250813.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250811.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250812
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250813.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  44. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  47. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  48. http://www.mtu.edu/