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 15
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      Moonlight, Planets, and Perseids
             Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jeff Dai ([5]TWAN)

   Explanation: [6]In the predawn sky on August 13, two planets were
   close. And despite the glare of a waning gibbous Moon, bright Jupiter
   and even brighter Venus were hard to miss. [7]Their brilliant close
   conjunction is posing above the eastern horizon in this early morning
   skyscape. The scene was captured in a single exposure from a site near
   Gansu, China, with light from both planets reflected in the still
   waters of a local pond. Also seen against the moonlight were flashes
   from the annual [8]Perseid Meteor Shower, known for its bright, fast
   meteors. Near the much anticipated peak of activity, the shower meteors
   briefly combined with the two planets for a [9]celestial spectacle even
   in moonlit skies.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [25]Specific rights apply.
            [26]NASA Web Privacy, [27]Accessibility, [28]Notices;
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/IMG_20250813_202125_2048.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://twanight.org/profile/jeff-dai/
   5. https://www.twanight.org/
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-august-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/#hds-sidebar-nav-1
   7. https://earthsky.org/todays-image/venus-and-jupiter/
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/watch-the-skies/2025/08/08/bright-moonlight-could-interfere-with-view-of-perseids-peak/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240826.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250814.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.com/feed.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250815
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250816.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://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/