Starship Asterisk*

Geminid Fireball over Mount Balang

Explanation: This was a sky to remember. While viewing the Geminids meteor shower a few days ago, a bright fireball was captured over Mt. Balang, China with particularly picturesque surroundings. In the foreground, a sea of light clouds slowly floated between dark mountain peaks. In the background, the constellation of Orion shone brightly, with the familiar three stars of Orion's belt visible near the image top right. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is visible near the image center. The bright fireball flashed for only a fraction of second on the lower right. The source of the fireball was a pebble that intersected the protective atmosphere of Earth, originally expelled by the Sun-orbiting asteroid-like object 3200 Phaethon.

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That's a lovely picture. Thanks.

Ann

A wondrous sky indeed...

Wishing all our APOD Friends ALL THE BEST this Holiday Season!!!!

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there looks like another faint fireball in the lower left area of the image. Could it be? Thanks. Very nice image and well composed.

This is a very nice photo and captures many objects currently visible in that part of the sky, including comet Lovejoy. If you enlarge the image, and place the star Canopus (just shining at the bottom between the mt peaks) at the bottom, right side of the screen, you can find comet Lovejoy to the upper left of Canopus, at the "10:00" O Clock position as a round "blue-green star".

REKESLE wrote:there looks like another faint fireball in the lower left area of the image. Could it be? Thanks. Very nice image and well composed.

Just a meteor, not a fireball. But it does appear to be another Geminid, pointing back to the radiant a little off the top of the image, above the Beehive.

What is the bright beacon on the far left, Jupiter or the Moon?

Donald Pelletier wrote:What is the bright beacon on the far left, Jupiter or the Moon?

Jupiter.

This image almost looks like a painting. Great job!

"The Stars at night....are big and bright.....(dum dum dum dum)....deep in the heart of....CHINA.....

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It is very interesting....clicking on the picture, and again to magnify....shows the Great Nebula in Orion, although over exposed...but just above that you can make out the "Running Man" in the Running Man Nebula...

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Boomer12k wrote:It is very interesting....clicking on the picture, and again to magnify....shows the Great Nebula in Orion, although over exposed...but just above that you can make out the "Running Man" in the Running Man Nebula...

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I dunno. I think you're seeing the Running Man because you know it's there.