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.

                              2024 December 15
    [2]A snowy landscape is pictured below a starry sky. The very bright
      Moon appears on the upper right. Many streaks are visile that are
      meteors taken over the night. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                     Geminid Meteors over a Snowy Forest
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jakub Kuřák

   Explanation: Meteors have been flowing out from the [4]constellation
   Gemini. This was expected, as mid-December is the time of the
   [5]Geminid Meteor Shower. Pictured here, over two dozen meteors were
   caught in [6]successively added exposures taken over several hours
   early Saturday morning from a [7]snowy forest in [8]Poland. The
   [9]fleeting streaks were bright enough to be seen over the din of the
   [10]nearly full Moon on the upper right. These streaks can all be
   traced back to a point on the sky called the [11]radiant toward the
   bright stars [12]Pollux and Castor in the image center. The [13]Geminid
   meteors started as sand sized bits expelled from asteroid [14]3200
   [15]Phaethon during its elliptical orbit through the [16]inner Solar
   System.

              Jigsaw Challenge: [17]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                       Tomorrow's picture: comet cliff
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([32]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [33]Specific rights apply.
            [34]NASA Web Privacy, [35]Accessibility, [36]Notices;
                A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC,
                         [40]NASA Science Activation
                           & [41]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/Geminids_Kurak_5757.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/jakub.kurak/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation)
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/
   6. https://static8.depositphotos.com/1479497/941/i/380/depositphotos_9415227-stock-photo-cat-near-calculator.jpg
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210206.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240826.html
  10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/moon-phases/
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower)
  12. https://globeatnight.org/constellation/gemini/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191213.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241212.html
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/focus-areas/inner-solar-system/
  17. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241214.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  24. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  27. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241215
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241216.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  41. http://www.mtu.edu/