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.

                               2021 August 16
    [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.

             Perseid Meteor, Red Sprites, and Nova RS Ophiuchus
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Daniel Korona

   Explanation: This was an unusual sky. It wasn't unusual because of the
   central band the [4]Milky Way Galaxy, visible along the image left.
   Most dark skies show part of the [5]Milky Way. It wasn't unusual
   because of the [6]bright meteor visible on the upper right. Many images
   taken during last week's [7]Perseid Meteor Shower show meteors,
   although this [8]Perseid was particularly [9]bright. This sky wasn't
   unusual because of the red [10]sprites, visible on the lower right.
   Although [11]this type of lightning has only been noted in the past few
   decades, [12]images [13]of [14]sprites are becoming more common. This
   sky wasn't unusual because of the [15]nova, visible just above the
   image center. [16]Novas bright enough to be seen with the unaided eye
   occur [17]every [18]few [19]years, with pictured Nova [20]RS Ophiuchus
   discovered about a [21]week ago. What was most unusual, though, was to
   capture all these things together, in a single night, on a single sky.
   The [22]unusual sky occurred above [23]Zacatecas, [24]Mexico.

       Notable APOD Image Submissions: [25]Perseid Meteor Shower 2021
                    Tomorrow's picture: deep red sky ring
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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [41]Specific rights apply.
              [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2108/PerseidNovaSprites_Korona_960.jpg
   3. mailto: dakoko_minera at live dot com dot ar
   4. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html
   5. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081125.html
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210803.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210814.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(lightning)
  11. https://earthsky.org/earth/definition-what-are-lightning-sprites/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191008.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210330.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150821.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060726.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210607.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180325.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150325.html
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS_Ophiuchi
  21. http://ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/mailarchive/vsnet-alert/26131
  22. https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/egyptian-mau-cat-amazed-picture-id494955611?s=612x612
  23. https://youtu.be/JiIIAFeW56E
  24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
  25. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=APOD.Sky&set=a.3855532511217606
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210815.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210816
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210817.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/