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. 2020 January 20 [2]See Explanation. Moving the cursor over the image will bring up an annotated version. Clicking on the image will bring up the highest resolution version available. Quadrantid Meteors through Orion Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Petr Horálek Explanation: Why are these meteor trails nearly [4]parallel? Because they were all shed by the [5]same space rock and so can be traced back to the same direction on the sky: the [6]radiant of the [7]Quadrantid Meteor Shower. This direction used to be toward the old constellation of [8]Quadrans Muralis, hence the name Quadrantids, but when the [9]International Astronomical Union formulated its [10]list of modern constellations in 1922, this constellation [11]did not make the list. Even though the [12]meteors are now considered to originate from the recognized [13]constellation of Bootes, the old name stuck. Regardless of the designation, every January the Earth moves through a [14]dust stream and bits of this [15]dust glow as meteors as they heat up in [16]Earth's atmosphere. The [17]featured image composite was taken on January 4 with a picturesque snowy [18]Slovakian landscape in the foreground, and a [19]deep-exposure sky prominently featuring the constellation Orion in the background. The red star [20]Betelgeuse [21]appears unusually dim -- its fading over the past few months is being [22]tracked by astronomers. Teachers: [23]APOD in the Classroom Tomorrow's picture: sun sounds __________________________________________________________________ [24]< | [25]Archive | [26]Submissions | [27]Index | [28]Search | [29]Calendar | [30]RSS | [31]Education | [32]About APOD | [33]Discuss | [34]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell ([38]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [39]Specific rights apply. [40]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC & [44]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/QuadrantidsOrion_Horalek_1500.jpg 3. http://www.astronom.cz/horalek/?page_id=20 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_(geometry) 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(196256)_2003_EH1 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower) 7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/quadrantids/in-depth/ 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrans_Muralis 9. https://www.iau.org/administration/about/ 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_designated_constellations 11. https://i0.wp.com/mrfrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/MRFRS_SadCat.jpg?fit=877,480&ssl=1 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190109.html 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boötes 14. https://external-preview.redd.it/nCQYtDdU6wGwidGkWAoJ-DRudEujUCHxGQ2EgQsCALQ.jpg?auto=webp&s=0fdc375b9d9a8cec1a2b9823b0cf2e11f703a69e 15. https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/288689/why-do-meteors-heat-up-when-they-fall-through-the-atmosphere 16. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/463940main_atmosphere-layers2_full.jpg 17. https://www.facebook.com/PetrHoralekPhotography/photos/a.842176325897979/2688795694569357/?type=3&theater 18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151123.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200101.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200102.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/AlphaOriLightCurve_AAVSO.jpg 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apodclass.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200119.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 33. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200120 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200121.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 44. http://www.mtu.edu/