                        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 15

                         Bright Perseids from Sweden
           Image Credit & Copyright: P-M Hedén (Clear Skies, TWAN)

   Explanation: Known for its bright and fast meteors, the annual Perseid
   Meteor Shower comes to planet Earth's skies from a radiant in the
   heroic constellation Perseus. The popular northern summer celestial
   spectacle is created as grains of dust cast off along the orbit of
   periodic comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle vaporize in Earth's dense atmosphere,
   tracing brief, but beautiful streaks through the night. Taken near the
   shower's peak of activity on August 12, this composite image recorded
   two bright perseid meteors and one meteor's watery reflection from a
   location near the coastal village of Grisslehamn, Sweden. Almost as
   bright as Altair, brightest star on the scene, the meteors appear along
   with the faint, diffuse background of the Milky Way. This year, the
   shower's peak activity coincided with a New Moon, so perseid meteor
   flashes were undiminished by bright moonlight. And for many
   skywatchers, this night of bright perseid meteors followed their
   viewing of the silhouette of the New Moon in a much anticipated solar
   eclipse.

              Growing Gallery: Solar Eclipse of 2026 August 12
               Tomorrow's picture: Milky Way over Yellowstone
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

