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.

                              2023 December 17
   [2]Two people are pictured from the back looking at a dark star-filled
     sky. The sky is also filled with numerous streaks caused by meteors
    from the Geminids meteor shower. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                      Geminids over China's Nianhu Lake
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Hongyang Luo

   Explanation: Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of
   direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the [4]constellation of
   Gemini. That is why the major meteor shower in December is known as the
   [5]Geminids -- because shower meteors all appear to come from a
   [6]radiant toward Gemini. Three dimensionally, however, [7]sand-sized
   debris expelled from the unusual asteroid [8]3200 Phaethon follows a
   well-defined orbit about our Sun, and the part of the orbit that
   approaches [9]Earth is superposed in front of the [10]constellation of
   Gemini. Therefore, when Earth [11]crosses this orbit, the [12]radiant
   point of [13]falling debris appears in Gemini. Featured here is a
   composite of [14]many images taken a few days ago through dark skies
   from [15]Nianhu Lake in [16]China. Over 100 [17]bright meteor streaks
   from the [18]Geminids meteor shower are visible.

       APOD Year in Review (2023): [19]RJN's Night Sky Network Lecture
                     Tomorrow's picture: the same color
     __________________________________________________________________

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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply.
              [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important 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/2312/Geminids_Hongyang_3840.jpg
   3. mailto: mgsluo at gmail dot com
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation)
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221225.html
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteors
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation)
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower)
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210815.html
  14. https://live.staticflickr.com/5613/15634745431_af629b9374.jpg
  15. https://english.www.gov.cn/news/photos/202011/23/content_WS5fbb23bcc6d0f72576940628.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081125.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00SNpSNKZo
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231216.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231217
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231218.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  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/