                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                               2026 August 19

                   The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
                     Video Credit: Juan Pablo Castañeda
         Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)
        H/t: William Cooke, David Lee, Peter Brown, Denis Vida, Peter
                                 Jenniskens

   Explanation: Whatdunit? What disappeared while crossing a partially
   eclipsed Sun? Let’s present the evidence. The 24 frames-per-second
   video was taken in Spain (40°34'30.3"N 1°12'28.8"W) at 20:28 local time
   on August 12, 2026. The Perseids meteor shower was at its peak during
   this time. Is this a meteor? Meteor showers trace back to a region of
   the sky called a radiant point that corresponds to where the Earth is
   crossing a comet’s path. The object’s path might trace back to the
   Perseids’ radiant point in the Perseus constellation. The object trails
   a smaller angle on the sky than the 0.5 degree Sun and Moon, which is
   smaller than expected for a meteor. Its brightness does not extend much
   past the Sun, but a meteor burning up in the sky would not need
   sunlight to be seen. Perhaps the sunlight is reflecting off of the
   object? After cross-referencing the location, time, and point in the
   sky with a flight database, the culprit is found to be an airplane
   contrail!

                      Tomorrow's picture: more mystery
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

