A Perseid Fireball and the Milky Way
It was bright and green and flashed as it moved quickly along the Milky Way. It left a trail that took 30 minutes to dissipate. Given the day, August 12, and the direction, away from Perseus , it was likely a small bit from the nucleus of Comet Swift-Tuttle plowing through the Earth's atmosphere -- and therefore part of the annual Perseids meteor shower . The astrophotographer captured the fireball as it shot across the sky in 2018 above a valley in Yichang, Hubei , China . The meteor's streak, also caught on video , ended near the direction of Mars on the lower left. Next week , the 2021 Perseids meteor shower will peak again . This year the Moon will set shortly after the Sun , leaving a night sky ideal for seeing lots of Perseids from dark and clear locations across planet Earth . Follow APOD in English on: Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter